By Naveen Athrappully
Contributing Writer
A Nigerian national has pleaded guilty to running a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded many elderly and vulnerable people in the United States, the Department of Justice said in a statement released last week.
Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, and his co-conspirators allegedly engaged in a scheme in which they sent personalized letters to elderly Americans, enticing them with the promise of receiving nonexistent inheritances.
“The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before,” the DOJ said.
“Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.”
The scammers allegedly collected money from victims through “a complex web of U.S.-based former victims,” the DOJ said. The victims were convinced to receive the money and transfer it to Akhimie and his co-conspirators.
Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. Akhimie admitted that he defrauded more than 400 individuals, collecting more than $6 million from them. Many of the victims were either elderly or otherwise vulnerable, the agency said.
Akhimie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on June 17 and faces a maximum prison term of 20 years.
“Transnational fraud schemes thrive in the shadows, turning illicit gains into a facade of legitimacy, especially those involving seniors or other vulnerable people,” said Ray Rede, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations Arizona.
“HSI and our law enforcement partners’ commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable.”
Seven other co-conspirators in this fraud scheme were previously convicted and sentenced.
Akhimie’s legal representatives could not be immediately reached for comment.
In 2024, there were 147,127 elder fraud complaints totaling $4.88 billion, the FBI said in a June 13 statement, citing data from its Internet Crime Complaint Center. This was a more than 40% jump in both the number of complaints and the number of losses from 2023.
An FBI report puts the average loss from elder fraud at $83,000. There were 7,500 complaints of people losing more than $100,000.
The FBI estimated that the actual losses from elder fraud could be much higher, as older Americans are less likely to report being scammed because of factors such as embarrassment and not knowing how to report the issue.
“Elder fraud is a growing problem and a shameful crime,” said Kimberly Milka, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.
“Not only does it rob an already vulnerable population of their sense of security, but it leaves them with devastating financial losses.
“We all need to work together to make sure our seniors know about these schemes so they can protect their hard-earned money from being swindled away by scammers. If you are being victimized, or know someone who is, please report it to us at ic3.gov.”
Scams Targeting Seniors
In a June 10 statement, the DOJ detailed some of the financial scams targeting older Americans.
Crypto scams involve fraudsters attempting to steal money by offering large returns for investments.
Grandparent scams involve duping older people into believing that their grandchildren have been arrested and need money for bail.
In lottery scams, fraudsters convince seniors that they have won money and that they must first pay a tax or fee to get these funds released.
There are also government agency schemes, in which fraudsters impersonate IRS or Social Security Administration representatives and ask people to transfer money to fix a problem in their accounts, according to the DOJ.
“Seniors are frequently targets of financial exploitation,” acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik said. “These fraudsters will use unsolicited text messages, spam emails, and robocalls, to find ways to take the hard-earned money that victims have saved up over the years.
“Scammers will even pretend to be government officials and frighten seniors into giving them their money using elaborate stories and tactics. We’ve seen some individuals lose their entire life savings.”
The American Bankers Association advises elders to be vigilant when it comes to handling money. For instance, bank statements and any receipts must be shredded before disposal, it said.
Credit reports must be regularly reviewed, while key financial documents such as account statements and checkbooks should be locked up securely, the association said.
The American Bankers Association recommends that elders always consult with their financial adviser or attorney before they sign any document they do not understand.
