Nigeria: Man extradited to U.S. over cyber intrusion, $1.3m tax fraud scheme
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
A Nigerian man residing in Mexico, Matthew A. Akande, 36, has been extradited to the United States, US for allegedly infiltrating tax preparation firms in Massachusetts to file fraudulent tax returns.
Akande was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport, U.K., at the request of U.S. authorities.
He was extradited on March 7, 2025, and appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Akande was indicted in July 2025 and faces multiple charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government funds, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
His co-conspirator, Kehinde H. Oyetunji, 33, a Nigerian living in North Dakota, pleaded guilty in December 2025.
Authorities allege that between 2024 and 2025 Akande and others stole taxpayer information via phishing attacks, using malware to access tax preparation firms’ records.
They allegedly filed over 1,000 fraudulent returns, seeking more than $8.1 million in refunds and obtaining $1.3 million.
Once refunds were issued, Oyetunji and others withdrew the funds and transferred a portion to Mexico under Akande’s direction.
If convicted, Akande faces up to 20 years for wire fraud and additional penalties for other charges.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Special Agent Jodi Cohen, and IRS Special Agent Thomas Demeo announced the case.
