Nigerian man jailed for eight years in US over fraud and hacking schemes

Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison in the United States after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud. Prosecutors said that from around 2019, he and his co-conspirators hacked tax preparation businesses and stole records belonging to about 800 customers, using stolen identities to seek roughly $8.4 million in fraudulent tax refunds and obtain at least $2.5 million. The group also obtained approximately $819,000 through fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan programme. Amachukwu was ordered to pay $3,647,629.39 in restitution and forfeit $10,846,634.39.