A 25-year-old Nigerian man, Oluyomi Bombata, also known as Bobo Chicago, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme and money laundering activities amounting to $2.8 million.
Bobo Chicago was said to have relocated to Chicago from Houston metropolitan area before his arrest on November 20, 2024.
Reports indicated that Bombata’s extravagant lifestyle drew the attention of law enforcement, leading to an investigation into complaints from victims.
According to FBI, his scheme involved intercepting financial transactions and redirecting funds after hacking into company and individual email accounts, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The nvestigators, in one of the examples they cited, revealed how over $300,000 of illicitly obtained funds were transferred to a popular liquor store in the US.
Bobo Chicago was arrested in Illinois, Chicago under an arrest warrant issued in Oklahoma, following an extensive FBI investigation. Authorities have also detained one of his alleged accomplices, whose identity has not yet been disclosed.
Following his arrest, a US Judge, Beth Jantz signed paperwork for him to be transferred to Oklahoma, where he will be facing a five-count charge of criminal consequences which the FBI listed as wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions allegedly committed between June 2023 and October 2023.
Reports added that the Nigerian male was assigned a public defender after claiming he had no resources to fight the case on his own.
The FBI emphasised its commitment to combatting cybercrimes, especially schemes like BEC fraud, which often target unsuspecting businesses and individuals worldwide.