FBI Moves To Seize Assets of Nigerian Fraudster Over $250,000 Trump Inauguration Crypto Scam

FBI has moved to seize assets of Nigerian Fraudster over $250,000 Trump Inauguration Crypto Scam.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has filed a legal complaint seeking to seize assets belonging to Lagos-based fraudster Ehiremen Aigbokhan, who is accused of masterminding a cryptocurrency scam that stole over ₦460 million (approximately $250,000) intended for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.

 

According to U.S. court filings, Aigbokhan and his accomplices carried out a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme, impersonating officials from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The scammers used fake email addresses designed to closely mimic those of Steve Witkoff, a prominent real estate executive and event co-chair to defraud a donor.

 

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On December 26, 2024, the fraudsters succeeded in duping the donor into transferring 250,300 USDT.ETH (a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar), worth over ₦400 million at the time. The stolen digital assets were quickly scattered across multiple crypto wallets, with over 215,000 USDT.ETH moved just days after the scam.

 

Working with blockchain company Tether, the FBI identified suspicious activity and froze the compromised wallets on December 31. Investigators later traced the digital trail to Aigbokhan in Lagos, prompting a full-scale probe by U.S. law enforcement.

 

Aigbokhan is also under investigation for his alleged role in a wider network of cryptocurrency fraud and international money laundering. The U.S. government is now pursuing legal steps to recover the stolen funds and bring those responsible to justice.