WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — The FBI has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize assets linked to Nigerian national Ehiremen Aigbokhan, accused of defrauding a donor of over $250,000 in cryptocurrency intended for former President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
According to U.S. court documents unsealed this week, Aigbokhan and his accomplices used a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme to impersonate officials from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee and deceive a high-profile donor.
Investigators say the fraudsters set up fake email addresses resembling that of real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, who serves as co-chair of the event.
“This was a deliberate and sophisticated impersonation scheme,” said a senior FBI official familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “They targeted a major donor and stole the funds in a matter of hours.”
On December 26, 2024, the scammers allegedly tricked the donor into transferring 250,300 USDT.ETH — a cryptocurrency equivalent to over ₦460 million — to an address under their control. Authorities say most of the funds were quickly dispersed across several digital wallets, with over 215,000 USDT.ETH moved within days.
Working with cryptocurrency platform Tether, the FBI traced the flow of funds and froze the compromised accounts on December 31. Their investigation led to Aigbokhan, who is believed to be operating out of Lagos, Nigeria.
In addition to the civil forfeiture action, U.S. officials say Aigbokhan is wanted for his role in broader cryptocurrency-related fraud and money laundering activities.
“This case underscores the increasing intersection between digital finance and international cybercrime,” said the official.
No arrests have been made, but U.S. authorities say efforts are ongoing to bring Aigbokhan and his network to justice.
