The Fall: FBI-Hunted Muhamed Dieye Had a 215 Billion CFA Franc Heist

Muhamed Dieye, 35, a Dallas resident, was arrested at JFK Airport as he prepared to board a one-way flight to Malaysia. Prosecutors say he led a network that targeted nearly 3,000 victims whose accounts held more than $373 million, about 216 billion CFA francs, from July 2023 to November 2024. The group allegedly used forged identity documents and SIM swaps, with help from purported insiders at banks and telecom companies, to intercept security codes. Fourteen people have been indicted; Dieye is being held in Texas, and defendants face up to 30 years in prison, plus two years for aggravated identity theft.