A Nigerian computer whizkid, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has been charged with stealing the identities of more than 150 former colleagues at the Bank of New York Mellon, using the information to pilfer over $1.1 million (about N165 million) from charities, non-profit groups and other institutions.
According to Manhattan prosecutors, Adeyemi, of Crown Heights, was employed for three months as a computer technician contractor at the headquarters of the bank in 2001 when he was 19 years.
He was arraigned in State Supreme Court before Justice Carol Berkman.
The scam started in November 2001 and lasted till April of this year.
It was during his employment that he stole the personal identifying information of dozens of Bank of New York employees, mainly in the Information Technology (IT) department, where he was assigned, said Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau.
Over the next few years, he used this information to open over 30 bank and brokerage accounts in their identities with firms including E-Trade, Fidelity, Citi, Wachovia, and Washington Mutual.
The accounts served as dummies for receiving stolen funds.
Adeyemi, now 27, stole money from the bank accounts of charities and non-profit organisations and funnelled it into the dummy accounts, later withdrawing the stolen funds or transferring them to a second layer of dummies.
He was assisted in the theft because, in the interests of facilitating donations, many charities put their banking details on the Internet, making them easy prey for unauthorised withdrawals by identity thieves, particularly those with computer expertise such as Adeyemi.
Adeyemi was also accused of stealing from Bank of New York employees.
Morgenthau said that the suspect changed the contact information associated with their online banking profiles, took control of their accounts and wired money to dummies.
Wiring just under $10,000 at a time to avoid hitting the threshold at which all financial institutions must report transactions to the US Treasury, he is accused of stealing more than $128,000 from staff.
Among other purchases, Adeyemi used these stolen proceeds to buy additional postal service money orders worth more than $100,000.
The New York/New Jersey Electronic Crimes Task Force of the United States Secret Service began surveillance on Adeyemi after tracing suspicious Internet activity at his apartment.
A search of the apartment in April uncovered dozens of Bank of New York employees’ credit reports on his computer, along with many other documents containing personal identifying information of more than 150 staff.
The investigative team also found notebooks containing hundreds of names, social security numbers, account numbers, and other personal data, along with numerous credit cards in Bank of New York employees’ names in a storage locker Adeyemi rented.
In a 149-count indictment, Adeyemi was charged with grand larceny, identity theft, money laundering, scheme to defraud, computer tampering and unlawful possession of personal identification information.
Among the charities Adeyemi is said to have stolen from are Goodwill Industries, Iris Ministries, the Kalgidhar Trust, the Sudanese American Community Development Organisation, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, the American Community School at Beirut, the Jacksonville Humane Society, American Friends of Birdlife International, the International Association of Women Judges, the Space Generation Advisory Council and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
Kevin Heine, a spokesman for Bank of New York Mellon, said in a statement, “We strongly support the investigation and actions taken by the district attorney’s office, and are fully cooperating.”
lol Why can't these negative news stop coming on the board. This is the reason people from outside has nothing good to say about Nigerians. I am tired of coming here to read NEGATIVES. Please place some POSITIVE news.
Godly WISDOM is to Fear God. His UNDERSTANDING is to resist the devil.
Posted: at 3-11-2009 04:04 PM (15 years ago) | Gistmaniac
guys stop decieving ur selves,he is right now working for f.b.i.do u know what it takes to beat the system for long and not get caught here in america.he's a genius
Posted: at 4-11-2009 12:16 AM (15 years ago) | Newbie
black_samurai at 4-11-2009 06:32 PM (15 years ago) (m)
Why are we being this ignorant? Some Nigerians here praising him as if he won an Olympic medal. He is not that smart with computers, he worked in a bank and should gain access to these informations.
If he wanna be smart, let him crack foreign bank DBs from his home and be able to clear his path after that.
I bet, from now on it'll be difficult for a bank to employ a Nigerian in a sector that has sensitive infos like he did. Shame.
Speach is silver, silence is Gold!
Posted: at 4-11-2009 06:32 PM (15 years ago) | Upcoming
shine1177 at 5-11-2009 12:09 PM (15 years ago) (m)
Quote from: black_samurai on 4-11-2009 06:32 PM
Why are we being this ignorant? Some Nigerians here praising him as if he won an Olympic medal. He is not that smart with computers, he worked in a bank and should gain access to these informations.
If he wanna be smart, let him crack foreign bank DBs from his home and be able to clear his path after that.
I bet, from now on it'll be difficult for a bank to employ a Nigerian in a sector that has sensitive infos like he did. Shame.
bros i concur. this act is shameful, may God help nigeria. Amen
Hmm wonder shall never end, see how some pple are praising this guy........that is to show how criminal minded Nigerians are. Anyway sha even oyibo pple do am pass
Posted: at 5-11-2009 01:41 PM (15 years ago) | Gistmaniac
nei black_s, take it easy on him bcs you have the same BLOOD OF A HUZZLER, and u would have definately attempted it wit the same opportunity. But matter of factly, what is wrong is never right. pc out mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Posted: at 7-11-2009 11:00 PM (15 years ago) | Newbie
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