Western Union blocks all money transfers to Nigeria

Western Union in Texas (the state with the largest Nigerian population in the U.S) may have blocked all money transfers to Nigeria, according to a report.

The report added that the blockade might spread to other states and countries.

According to the report, “a notice at the outlet in Texas said it was no longer doing Western Union Transfers to Nigeria, with apologies for any inconvenience.

This is coming after the indictment of 77 Nigerians by the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice, in connection with massive fraud and money laundering.

Western Union is yet to react to the issue as at time of filing this report.

It would be recalled that last Thursday, a Spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Thom Mrozek, disclosed that suspects were arrested in raids carried out across the U.S.

Many co-conspirators, Mrozek said, are still in Nigeria, with others also at large in the U.S. and other countries.

In a 252-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed on Thursday, the defendants are accused of participating in a massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes and launder the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network.

The network duped dozens of victims in the U.S., Colombia, China, The Caribbean, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

31-year-old Valentine Iro and 38-year-old Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, both Nigerians, were used by the network for bank and money-service accounts that could receive funds fraudulently obtained from victims.

“We believe this is one of the largest cases of its kind in US history,” United States Attorney for the Central District of California, Nick Hanna, said during a press conference on Thursday.

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The alleged fraudsters targeted victims in the US and across the globe, including individuals, small and large businesses, and law firms.

The Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Paul Delacourt also disclosed that the agency is working with security agencies in nine countries to apprehend 57 defendants.

He said the case involves 32 confirmed victims located in the U.S., Japan, UK, Lebanon, Ukraine, China, Mexico, Germany, Indonesia, UAE and Trinidad and Tobago.

“It shows the extensive reach of the cybercriminals involved in this kind of schemes,” he said.

“The FBI is committed to working with our partner agencies worldwide to continue to identify these cyber criminals and to dismantle their networks,” he said.