Matthew Akande tax fraud case sees Nigerian jailed eight years for $8.1m US refund scheme targeting over 1,000 Americans

The United States Department of Justice has detailed how a Nigerian national, Matthew Akande, attempted to defraud more than 1,000 Americans of $8.1 million through a sophisticated fraudulent tax return scheme.

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In a statement published on Thursday, the department confirmed that Akande, 37, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after successfully obtaining about $1.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds before the operation was uncovered.

According to prosecutors, Matthew Akande Tax Fraud activities spanned between June 2016 and June 2021, during which he conspired with others to steal funds from the US government by filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen personal information.

Investigators found that Akande and his accomplices targeted Massachusetts-based tax preparation firms through phishing emails disguised as enquiries from prospective clients.

The emails prompted recipients to download a remote access trojan, including malware known as Warzone RAT, which enabled unauthorised access to sensitive taxpayer data.

The stolen personally identifiable information and prior-year tax records were then used to submit fraudulent returns.

Refunds were directed to accounts opened by co-conspirators in the United States, who withdrew the funds and transferred portions to third parties in Mexico while retaining a share.

In total, more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns were filed, seeking over $8.1 million. Authorities said the conspirators succeeded in obtaining more than $1.3 million before the scheme was disrupted.

Akande, who was based in Mexico prior to his arrest, was apprehended at Heathrow Airport in October 2024. He was later extradited to the United States and arraigned before a federal court in Boston.

Judge Indira Talwani of the US District Court sentenced Akande to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,393,230 in restitution.

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Officials described the case as a stark reminder of the evolving threat posed by cyber-enabled financial crime and the determination of authorities to pursue offenders across borders.