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FBI Links $250,000 Trump Inauguration Scam to Nigerian Suspect in Lagos

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 5th, 2025.

FBI Links $250,000 Trump Inauguration Scam to Nigerian Suspect in Lagos

A Lagos-based cybercriminal, Ehiremen Aigbokhan, has been identified by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the mastermind behind a cryptocurrency fraud scheme that diverted $250,000 (approximately ₦460 million) originally meant for the inauguration campaign of former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025, according to News360 Nigeria.

U.S. court filings reveal that Aigbokhan orchestrated a Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack, impersonating key figures associated with the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The fraud involved crafting fake email accounts that closely resembled those of Steve Witkoff, a real estate tycoon and co-chair of the event, in order to deceive a donor into making a bogus payment.

The scam occurred on December 26, 2024, when the donor unknowingly transferred 250,300 USDT (a stablecoin on the Ethereum blockchain, also labeled USDT.ETH), valued at more than ₦400 million at the time. The digital assets were rapidly distributed across several cryptocurrency wallets, with over 215,000 USDT.ETH moved in just a few days.

The scheme was uncovered following swift intervention by the FBI and crypto firm Tether, who froze the related accounts by December 31, 2024, preventing further loss.

Further investigations traced the origin of the fraud to Lagos, Nigeria. Aigbokhan, who is also being linked to other cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering cases, is now a target of heightened scrutiny by U.S. authorities.

The case underscores growing international concerns over the use of sophisticated cyber tactics to exploit cryptocurrency systems for financial crimes.