*Criminals, Like Olamide Shanu, Who Prey On Vulnerable Victims In This Manner Rob Them Of Their Savings, Sense Of Decency –US Justice Dept
*’This Prosecution Demonstrates Our Unwavering Commitment To Holding Cybercriminals Accountable, No Matter Where They Operate In The World’
*His Assets From Criminality, Cash In Banks Seized
In a clear warning to Nigerian youths and others involved in internet fraud that crime has dire consequences sooner or later, irrespective of distance, a young Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, faces 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in the United States (US) to conspiracy to commit money laundering over his involvement in international sextortion and romance scam schemes, otherwise known as ‘yahoo yahoo’ in Africa’s giant.
He defrauded approximately 150 American victims, raking in over $2.5 million (about N3.7 billion) in criminal proceeds.
The 35-year-old Shanu entered his guilty plea on Monday, September 21, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
He is expected to be sentenced on 15 December, 2026, and faces the penalty in federal prison, according to a report in Sahara Reporters.
It further reported that Shanu was extradited from Nigeria to the US to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in the cyber-enabled fraud schemes.
Security sources told People&Politics that virtually all items that Shanu used the illicit money to buy have been confiscated while his bank accounts have been emptied as part of efforts to recompense his victims.
The case was announced by the DOJ yesterday as part of the Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative, which targets international networks involved in cyber-enabled financial crimes.
‘Yahoo Yahoo’ Modus Operandi
According to court documents, Shanu and his co-conspirators operated an international scheme involving financially motivated sextortion, romance fraud and money laundering.
In the sextortion operation, the group typically targeted male victims and persuaded them to send sexual images of themselves.
After obtaining the images, Shanu and his co-conspirators allegedly threatened to distribute the victims’ private images to their friends and family unless the victims made payments.
The scheme targeted numerous victims across the US, including at least one person in Idaho, where Shanu was prosecuted.
The conspirators also allegedly operated romance scams in which they created fake identities on social media platforms and used them to establish deceptive emotional relationships with victims.
According to the court documents, the romance scam victims were typically older men and women.
The suspects allegedly gained the trust of the victims, convinced them that they had genuine romantic relationships and future plans together, and subsequently persuaded them to send money under various false claims of urgent financial needs.
The proceeds generated from the sextortion and romance schemes were then allegedly laundered through peer-to-peer payment applications and several cryptocurrency wallet addresses before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
The US authorities said Shanu personally made more than $2.5million from the fraud schemes.
US Justice Department Speaks…
“This case exposes a sophisticated international scheme that exploited Americans through sextortion and romance fraud, laundering millions in criminal proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Criminals, like Olamide Shanu, who prey on vulnerable victims in this manner rob them of their savings and sense of decency,” Duva said.
He added that the Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative was created to tackle such threats by dismantling criminal networks and pursuing justice for victims.
US Attorney, Bart M. Davis, for the District of Idaho, said Shanu’s prosecution demonstrated the commitment of American authorities to pursuing cybercriminals regardless of where they operate.
“This prosecution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they operate in the world,” Davis said.
“By securing the extradition of this defendant from Nigeria and bringing him to justice for sextortion and other cyber-enabled fraud schemes, we are sending a clear message that those who exploit victims and launder millions in illicit proceeds will face serious consequences.”
Davis said Shanu’s guilty plea resulted from the efforts of prosecutors and law enforcement agencies working to disrupt international criminal networks and protect victims.
“This guilty plea, involving more than $2.5 million in laundered proceeds, reflects the dedicated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners to disrupt international criminal networks, protect victims, and ensure that cyber-enabled crime does not go unanswered,” he said.
Assistant Director, Brent Daniels, of the US Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations described financially motivated sextortion as a serious crime that exploits victims through fear, shame and trust.
“Financially motivated sextortion is a heinous crime that preys on fear, shame, and trust to exploit victims in deeply personal ways,” Daniels said.
He said the guilty plea represented an important step towards justice for victims and demonstrated the Secret Service’s commitment to working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate international cyber-enabled fraud.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Face Of Shame: Shanu.
