3 Nigerians jailed in US for $520k COVID-19 relief scam
Court Orders Nigerian Trio to Repay $520k in COVID Fraud Case
Elohim Nyame 
A United States court has sentenced three Nigerian nationals in their twenties to prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme that drained more than $520,000 from state and federal programmes.
The trio, whose names were withheld in court documents, were also ordered to repay the stolen sum as compensation to the affected agencies. Prosecutors revealed that the men conspired with accomplices overseas to exploit pandemic relief systems, targeting funds intended for struggling Americans during the crisis.
Investigations showed the group fraudulently obtained 168 unemployment debit cards from California, Arizona, and Nevada. Of these, 98 were used in more than 500 ATM withdrawals across multiple states, siphoning off funds meant for genuine beneficiaries.
Describing the scheme as “heartless and criminal,” the prosecuting attorney said the fraudsters preyed on a system designed to support unemployed workers during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
The case highlights the vulnerability of emergency relief funds to international fraud networks and the continuing efforts of US authorities to clamp down on cyber-enabled financial crimes.
