Dana Mathewson

You yourself may have been targeted. You'd get an e-mail from this guy, supposedly a Nigerian who had a huge sum of money who just needed a place to park it for a short time, and wanted to use your bank account; if you agreed he'd promise you a decent part of his stash. Of course, all he wanted was access to your account, and it didn't take a Warren Buffet to spot the idea that the money would flow only one way, and that was not in your direction.

Well, it was a real Nigerian, and he was caught and sentenced to a significant hitch in a "maximum security" lockup in Nigeria. But as you can see from the attached article, "maximum security" means different things in different countries.

A Nigerian internet scammer serving a 24-year jail sentence was allegedly able to mastermind a $1 million "mega scam” from inside a maximum-security prison, anti-corruption officials said.

Hope Olusegun Aroke was first convicted of fraud four years ago and sent to Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, according to Nigeria’s economic and financial crimes commission.

A preliminary investigation showed that Aroke continued "to ply his ignoble trade” from inside the Lagos prison by using a "network of accomplices” to target victims in various nations, accumulating more than $1 million in the process.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the convict, against established standard practice, had access to Internet and mobile phone in the Correctional Centre where he is supposed to be serving his jail term,” the commission said in a statement Tuesday.

Even more "puzzling,” Aroke also was taken to the hospital for an undisclosed illness and, instead of returning to the prison, he ended up at hotels, where he would meet his wife and children, and attend social functions, authorities said.

Aroke used the fictitious name "Akinwwunmi Sorinmade” to open at least two bank accounts and purchase a luxury car – a 2018 Lexus RX 350 – and homes during his time in prison.

[...]

Aroke was convicted and imprisoned three years later on two counts of obtaining money by false pretense, check cloning, wire transfer and forgery.

The Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison is managed by the Nigerian Correctional Service, which has not yet commented on the case.

Amazing. You almost have to admire the guy's ingenuity. But surely if he'd put it to use in legitimate enterprises he could have made as much money. Maybe the taxes in Nigeria would have killed him?

Disclosure: a number of years ago, the company my wife Martha worked for at the time had dealings with a financial services guy in Arizona (who turned out to be a bit outside of legitimate and ran into problems with the Feds, but that's another story) who got suckered by this scheme. Swallowed the thing hook, line and sinker.

Anyhow, the story is here. https://www.foxnews.com/world/nigeria-scammer-mastermind-fraud-scheme-jail If I ever have to do hard time, I'd rather do it in Nigeria than in Leavenworth -- if this story is any indication.

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