Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign the Scams, the podcast where we uncover the truth behind scams, frauds, financial deceptions, and the criminals who make a living off tricking and deceiving honest people. I'm Nick, and joining me today, as always, is my co host and my wife Sue.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Thanks, Nick. And hello everybody. I'm sue, your co host. Today we're exposing one of the most complex and shocking fraud rings ever prosecuted. A network of sophisticated criminals that stole hundreds of millions of dollars through business, email, compromise, romance scams, fake invoices, and money laundering.
[00:00:46] Speaker A: It's going to be a fascinating story for all of you. The title for today's episode is the $17 million scam. The largest fraud ring you've never heard of. We named it this because under normal circumstances, the taking down of such a large scam ring would have been front page news.
However, with its takedown in mid-2019 and court hearings in early 2020, it slipped under our radar. I think it is because the pandemic probably pushed it off of the front pages. Of course, we all want to forget about the pandemic, but we don't want to avoid hearing this story because much of what we discuss is continuing to this day. All of us have something to learn from it. What makes this case even more important, yet still terrifying, is that these scammers weren't just stealing from random individuals. They were targeting businesses, banks, real estate transactions, and even the U.S. government.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: Yeah, Nick, one company almost lost $17 million in a single fraudulent wire transfer. But here's the kicker. These criminals weren't just taking money. Some victims were unknowingly being used as money mules, helping to launder stolen funds without even realizing it.
[00:02:11] Speaker A: This fraud ring was eventually taken down by the U.S. department of justice in Los Angeles, California, after a massive investigation by the FBI, the US Secret Service, and multiple international law enforcement agencies.
[00:02:26] Speaker B: So today, we're breaking it all down. How they did it, why they succeeded, how the law finally caught up with them, and most importantly, how you can protect yourself from scams like these.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: Sue, since this is such an involved scam, we must break it down into parts. So let's take a look at part one of the scam. To better understand the scope of this fraud, we need to go back to October 2014, when it first started. I know it's going back a long way, but it just shows how long this scam took place. After all, the indictment of these defendants took place in June 2019. To better understand history, it is necessary to revisit it. Plus the tactics and Strategies used by these scammers pretty much continue to this day. They may have even created the foundation for many of the current tactics.
[00:03:17] Speaker B: This didn't begin as some massive operation. At first, it was just a few scammers running small wire fraud schemes, sending phishing emails, stealing money from online banking accounts, and using fake business deals to trick people into sending them cash. I am curious, Nick, how many defendants were there in this case?
[00:03:40] Speaker A: Okay, have a seat, sue, because you're not going to believe just how many defendants there were in this investigation. This case involved over 80 defendants. They were all indicted in Los Angeles, California, in what was one of the largest online fraud prosecutions in US History. The majority of the defendants were of Nigerian nationality, but there were also individuals from the United States and other countries who played roles in laundering money, facilitating transactions, and acting as middlemen. The indictment itself was approximately 160 pages. But listeners, please don't let the number of defendants scare you away. For this story, we won't be addressing each defendant's crimes. Instead, we will go into detail about the crimes this organization committed and. And the excellent work done by law enforcement into bringing them to justice.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: Great, Nick. But wow, this is a staggering number of defendants and a massive indictment. No wonder you've been locked up in your office for days. Just getting through the indictment is a long process. You must be exhausted.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: I am a little tired. But you know what? It was a fascinating read. I've personally helped prosecutors write numerous indictments and search warrants during my law enforcement career, but I don't think I helped with anything this long and involved, let alone something that has over 80 defendants.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: I guess that's why this case took years to investigate. Right, Nick?
[00:05:15] Speaker A: Yes, that's exactly why it took so long. I cannot tell you how many times I heard during my career how slow our cases are. I would get things like, you guys take so long. What are you doing over there? You feds are so slow. Yada yada yada, Sue. I have heard it all. But you know what? Federal cases are thorough and have an extremely high conviction rate. So the uninformed can continue being naysayers. The prosecution conviction rate speaks for itself.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: On that note, what is the conviction rate for federal cases?
[00:05:52] Speaker A: It hovers somewhere above 90%. Maybe towards the higher range of 90%, but I don't want to brag too much.
[00:05:59] Speaker B: Well, okay then, Nick. Back to our story.
[00:06:01] Speaker A: You got it, Sue. Anyways, something happened along the way for these scammers that changed everything. They eventually realized how easy it was to manipulate businesses and individuals into wiring large amounts of money. So they expanded fast, recruiting money launderers, hackers and insiders to help them steal even more.
[00:06:21] Speaker B: They definitely had an aha moment, didn't they?
[00:06:23] Speaker A: They sure did. And at the center of this operation were two men. These two men were Valentine Iroh, also known as Obina iro, who was the financial mastermind behind the operation. He set up fake bank accounts, laundered millions of dollars, and made sure their stolen money couldn't be easily traced. The second man was Jerry Elo Ikogo, known as J Man, who was the one who organized the scams, coordinated fraudulent wire transfers, and managed the logistics of their fake business operations.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: Yikes, Nick, these guys weren't just stealing from a few unsuspecting victims. They were running an international criminal network that had tentacles stretching into the United States, Nigeria, China and beyond.
[00:07:15] Speaker A: So sue, let's get into how this criminal activity worked. A big part of the scam was what is known as business email compromise, BEC fraud.
[00:07:27] Speaker B: Alright, Nick, I will explain that one to our listeners. I know a little something about it since I just spent an hour reading about it on Wikipedia. Anyway, business email compromise, or BEC fraud, is one of the most financially devastating scams scams happening today. It's effective because it looks legitimate until it's too late.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: Nice job, Sue. Glad to see you and Wikipedia are connecting so well.
So here's how it worked. In this operation, the scammers would hack into a company's email system by phishing emails to employees.
Sometimes they used brute force attacks to break into weak passwords.
[00:08:08] Speaker B: That's right. And once inside, they didn't start sending scam emails right away. Instead, they monitored company emails for weeks or even months. They watched ongoing financial transactions, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: When they saw a significant wire transfer about to happen, they'd send an email impersonating the CEO, CFO, or a trusted vendor and say, please process this wire transfer immediately. It's urgent.
[00:08:38] Speaker B: And because the email looked completely real, the finance department would follow the instructions and the money would be gone.
[00:08:46] Speaker A: This happened to Victim Company 2, which was tricked into wiring approximately $187,000 to a fraudulent account.
[00:08:55] Speaker B: Another company, Victim Company 5, almost lost $17 million in a fake transfer request sent to Wells Fargo.
[00:09:03] Speaker A: Yes, that's right, Sue. Can you believe it? Hard to fathom losing that amount of money in an instant, but it can happen. Fortunately, that transfer was caught just in time. But many weren't so lucky.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Nick, this might be a good time to point out to our Listeners that we refer to the businesses as company one or company two, etc. Because the companies were not identified by their real names.
[00:09:30] Speaker A: Great point, Sue. This is often done for persons and companies in indictments to protect their identities and maintain their privacy. Now, let's move into the escrow fraud section of this scamming operation and how some home buyers lost everything.
[00:09:44] Speaker B: As if this wasn't already enough, not for these scammers. This scam is particularly devastating because it didn't just steal money. It stole people's homes before they even moved in. So, Nick, how did they accomplish this portion of their scamming operation?
[00:10:02] Speaker A: Well, the scammers would hack into the email accounts of real estate agents and escrow officers. They would wait until a home buyer was about to close on a property, and then, right before the final payment was due, they'd send a fake email with new wiring instructions.
[00:10:18] Speaker B: The home buyer, thinking it was real, would wire their entire down payment to the scammer's account.
[00:10:24] Speaker A: Exactly when they realized what had happened, the money was long gone, transferred through multiple accounts, sent overseas, and impossible to recover.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Nick, this type of escrow fraud scams is something that continues to this day, doesn't it?
[00:10:39] Speaker A: It certainly does. As of 2023, escrow fraud scams continue to be a significant threat in the real estate sector. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3, losses from real estate fraud, including escrow fraud, exceeded $350 million in 2023.
[00:11:00] Speaker B: And to add to that, Nick, this scamming trend shows an increase in sophistication, with scammers using advanced phishing techniques to deceive victims. In 2025, experts predict that these scams will become even more prevalent, urging individuals to verify all wire transfer instructions through direct communication with their real estate agents or escrow officers.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: Yes, this trend has continued to increase. However, many financial institutions have implemented more security protections to assist in being duped by this scam. For example, wire transfer instructions are never sent via email. When I wire money using my financial institution, my institution requires uploading it to its secure digital vault. Once the wire is prepared, I receive a secure text and approve it. From the secure text, before the funds are finally sent, I receive a voice call from the institutions, which I must verbally approve.
[00:12:08] Speaker B: It may sound like a lot of work, Nick, but it actually really isn't, right?
[00:12:12] Speaker A: No, it really doesn't take that long. And when you think about it, if it stops me from losing money and prevents fraud, any amount of time is fine with me. Okay, sue, now it's time for the next criminal activity that these scammers inflicted on victims. As if what we have already talked about wasn't enough.
Nope. These scammers had grand plans.
[00:12:35] Speaker B: Yes, Nick. These guys were relentless, weren't they?
[00:12:38] Speaker A: Well, relentless is a nice way to describe this group, but we will stick with calling them that for now, since we are a family show. But let's talk about how a group of victims was emotionally manipulated as part of this group's romance scamming operations.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: This one is heartbreaking because it's not just about money. It's about betrayal.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: Right, Sue? These guys had little to no conscience. Since many of these crimes started back in 2014, it's not difficult to look at this group as being groundbreakers in the world of scams. Particularly scams like business, email compromise and romance scamming.
[00:13:20] Speaker B: I think you're right about this, Nick. The romance scam operations we read about to this day use the same tactics and practices these scammers used. Starting in 2014, tell the listeners what these guys would do.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: As with most romance scams, the scammers would create fake dating profiles using stolen photos of military officers, doctors, or wealthy businessmen. They'd form an online relationship with their victims, spending weeks or months making them feel loved, special and important.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: Then, once the victim was emotionally invested, they'd ask for money. There was always some urgent excuse. Things like, I need money for medical bills, I want to visit you, but I'm stuck overseas. My business deal fell through and I just need some help.
[00:14:10] Speaker A: One victim, Arby, lost $87,000 before realizing she had been scammed.
[00:14:16] Speaker B: And worse, some of these victims were tricked into laundering stolen money, thinking they were helping their online partner.
[00:14:23] Speaker A: Yep, that's precisely what they would do. Can you imagine being tricked into committing money laundering by someone whom you thought you were falling in love with?
[00:14:32] Speaker B: No, Nick, I couldn't imagine it. These victims, like all romance scam victims, must have been devastated.
[00:14:39] Speaker A: Yes, sue, this was no different that any other romance scam. Just the size and scale was much larger than ever seen before. So, sue, let's move on to the good part of this episode, if there is such a thing. But this scamming organization was eventually arrested for their crimes after a massive federal investigation led by the US Department of Justice. The arrests of Valentine Ero and his co conspirators took place on August 22, 2019.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Thank goodness. Taking these guys off the street was a good day for everyone. Except the scammers, of course.
[00:15:13] Speaker A: It was a good day for justice in America. Authorities proudly announced the indictment of 80 individuals, mostly Nigerian nationals, involved in the massive fraud and money laundering scheme. The indictment was unsealed in Los Angeles and it was eye opening.
[00:15:33] Speaker B: It sure was. The indictment carefully detailed the scammers involvement in multiple frauds including business email compromise, BEC scams, romance fraud and elder financial scams.
[00:15:46] Speaker A: That's correct. And after the FBI and Secret Service started noticing suspicious wire transfers and fake businesses continuing to be established, it led them to surveil the scammers. Something might have happened that indicated to law enforcement that these guys were getting ready to flee or about to successfully victimize another innocent person.
So eventually law enforcement launched a coordinated raid leading to dozens of arrests, including Valentine Eero and Jerry ico.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: Wow, Nick. This investigation was a perfect example of a coordinated effort among various law enforcement agencies.
[00:16:28] Speaker A: Thanks for pointing that out, Sue. Too many times we see movies and TV shows where law enforcement agencies are shoving and fighting each other over jurisdiction. Having been on both a DEA drug task force and an FBI High Technology Crimes task force, I saw very little of this type of fighting among the numerous law enforcement agencies I worked with.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: Nick, that's fascinating.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: In fact, sue, my experience was exactly the opposite. I mainly saw a concerted effort by a group of dedicated law enforcement officers. Their main passion was stopping crime.
[00:17:03] Speaker B: I think that's great to point out, Nick. Too often the commitment and devotion of law enforcement are overlooked because of the crimes of a few bad apples.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: Sad. Petrusu. This investigation revealed that the conspiracy involved the laundering of at least $6 million in fraudulently obtained funds and the attempted theft of at least an additional $40 million.
[00:17:26] Speaker B: I understand that many of the co conspirators in this case resided overseas in places like Nigeria and Ghana. What happened to those guys?
[00:17:36] Speaker A: Well sue, law enforcement is working closely with international partners to track the conspirators activities and to apprehend those involved in the scheme.
This case highlights the complexity and global reach of modern fraud schemes as well as the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
[00:17:58] Speaker B: Talk more about the sentencing aspect of this case please, Nick.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: Sure. Sue Valentine Iro, 34, the lead defendant in the 252 count federal grand jury indictment that charged 80 individuals, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering in October 2020 in front of United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner. In February 2023, Valentine Iroh was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $1.3 million in restitution.
[00:18:31] Speaker B: Getting Valentino Iroh off of the streets for 11 years is a great thing. But Nick, he only pled to one count of money laundering. Obviously, he committed many more crimes besides money laundering. Nick, many people might be wondering the same thing. Why was Valentine Iroh, who was called the mastermind behind this whole scheme, allowed to plead guilty to just one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering? That seems pretty light considering the scale of the fraud.
[00:19:03] Speaker A: Yeah, it does seem that way at first glance, but it's actually pretty common in federal cases, especially ones as big as this. There are a few key reasons why the prosecutors likely went this route.
[00:19:15] Speaker B: Okay, so walk me through it. Why would the government let him plead to just one charge instead of throwing the whole book at him first?
[00:19:24] Speaker A: Cooperation is a huge factor in cases like these. The FBI and federal prosecutors prioritize taking down the entire network, not just one guy. IROH may have provided critical intelligence that helped law enforcement track down other key players in the scam.
[00:19:43] Speaker B: So you're saying he might have cut a deal to snitch on other scammers?
[00:19:47] Speaker A: Exactly.
It's likely that as part of his plea deal, he handed over details on other members of the network, which allowed authorities to secure more arrests, not just in the US but also in Nigeria and other countries where these fraudsters were operating.
[00:20:06] Speaker B: That makes sense. But why drop all the other charges and only stick him with one count? Wouldn't it make more sense to charge him with everything they had?
[00:20:15] Speaker A: Not necessarily. This was a 252 count indictment. It would have been an extremely complicated trial that could have dragged on for years.
Prosecutors streamlined cases by getting a defendant to plead guilty to one major charge that still carries a heavy sentence.
[00:20:35] Speaker B: So it's basically about securing a conviction quickly instead of gambling on a long trial.
[00:20:40] Speaker A: Exactly. And money laundering is a key charge in cases like this because it's easier to prove than some of the other financial crimes. Once they get him on that, the sentencing guidelines allow for a long prison term anyway.
[00:20:54] Speaker B: And he still got 11 years and three months in federal prison. Prison, plus over 1.3 million in restitution.
[00:21:01] Speaker A: Right, right. Even though it's just one count, that's a serious sentence. He's going to spend more than a decade behind bars. And don't forget, the feds don't do parole. He's serving most, if not all of that time.
[00:21:17] Speaker B: So would you say this kind of plea deal strategy is common in federal cases?
[00:21:21] Speaker A: Absolutely. Over 90% of federal cases end in plea agreements. Rather than going to trial, prosecutors prefer guaranteed convictions over long, uncertain trials. It's the same tactic used in organized crime cases, white collar fraud, and even drug trafficking cases. During my career as a special agent, I had this very same thing happen in most, if not all of my cases. It's just part of the process.
[00:21:51] Speaker B: Interesting. I never knew that was part of the process. So, Nick, please give our listeners an example. Has this same thing happened in other big federal cases?
[00:22:01] Speaker A: Sure. Take Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Many of his co conspirators pleaded guilty to a few key charges instead of going through lengthy trials on dozens of counts.
The same thing happens in Mafia cases. Mob bosses and informants enforcers often plead to a single racketeering or money laundering charge, even when they've committed multiple crimes.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: So it's not about letting them off easy. It's about efficiency and still securing a long sentence.
[00:22:32] Speaker A: Yes, and in this case, Iroh's guilty plea ensured he was held accountable, but it also probably helped the FBI dismantle more of the scam network. And don't Forget, there were 80 defendants charged in this case. So the government had other fish to fry than just Iroh.
[00:22:51] Speaker B: Got it. So while it might seem like he got off easy at first, in reality he's serving serious time. And his plea deal likely helped take down even more scammers.
[00:23:01] Speaker A: Precisely. And that's the bigger picture. The Feds care about stopping the entire operation, not just one guy.
[00:23:09] Speaker B: Nick, what do we know about the other defendants and where they are in the process? We've talked about the mastermind, Valentine iro, but what about the co conspirators like Chukwudi, Krista Gunes, Igbokwe, and Chucks Iroha? They weren't the ringleaders, but they still played a massive role in making this fraud operation work. Just a quick mention before you answer my question. I want to tell listeners that just because I pronounce these dishes defendants name somewhat correctly does not mean they automatically roll off my tongue. I must admit, I practiced those pronunciations many times in front of a mirror.
[00:23:46] Speaker A: Well, sue, honesty is the best policy, so kudos to you. The names are tricky to pronounce, so thanks for the commitment. Now back to your question.
These guys weren't at the top of the pyramid, but were critical players because they acted as intermediaries. Basically the middlemen who connected fraudsters with money launderers.
[00:24:07] Speaker B: So were they scamming people directly or just handling the money?
[00:24:11] Speaker A: Mostly handling the money. But that doesn't mean they were any less dangerous. Their job was to move stolen funds and make sure the money got from the victims. To the scammers without getting traced.
[00:24:21] Speaker B: And how did they do that?
[00:24:22] Speaker A: They used a variety of laundering methods, including fake bank accounts set up with stolen or falsified identities, Money transmitting services like Western Union, MoneyGram, and even cryptocurrency. Money mules. People who unknowingly or knowingly move the money for them.
[00:24:44] Speaker B: So they were like, the financial backbone of the whole operation?
[00:24:47] Speaker A: Yes, and without guys like Igbokwe and Iroha, the fraudsters wouldn't be able to cash out their stolen money without immediately getting caught.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: But moving stolen money leaves a trail, right? How did law enforcement track them down?
[00:25:01] Speaker A: Great question. The FBI and other federal agencies built their case over several years using tools like wiretap evidence. Listening in on calls and messages between scammers, bank transaction tracking, following the movement of large sums of money, Email and text message logs, looking at instructions between between fraudsters and their money launderers.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: So when the feds finally made their move, what happened?
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Well, when FBI agents showed up to arrest them, Both Igbokwe and Aroha panicked.
[00:25:33] Speaker B: Wait, what did they do?
[00:25:34] Speaker A: According to the reports, the moment the FBI knocked on their door, they threw their phones out the window in a desperate attempt to destroy evidence.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Seriously? That sounds straight out of a movie.
[00:25:44] Speaker A: Yeah, but it didn't work. The feds already had plenty of evidence. And breaking a phone doesn't erase the data from service providers or cloud backups.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: So what kind of charges did they face?
[00:25:56] Speaker A: They were both convicted on multiple counts.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft.
[00:26:07] Speaker B: And what kind of sentences did they get?
[00:26:09] Speaker A: Igbokwe and Aroha were each sentenced to significant prison time, Although not as long as Valentine Iroh's 11 year sentence. However, they'll still be spending several years in federal prison and facing major financial penalties.
[00:26:26] Speaker B: So, just like Iroh, they weren't at the top of the scam pyramid, but they were critical to making it work. Which is why the feds went after them hard.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: Yes, sue, you know, it is important to point out that law enforcement doesn't just want to arrest the ringleaders. They want to break the entire network. If you take out the money launderers, the scammers lose access to their stolen funds, and the whole operation collapses.
[00:26:52] Speaker B: So what's the big takeaway for people listening?
[00:26:55] Speaker A: The big lesson here is that these scams only work because money launderers help scammers clean their stolen cash. Without people like Igbokwe and Aroha, the scammers wouldn't be able to move millions of dollars undetected.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: Right, and that's why, even if someone isn't the one making scam calls, if they're helping move the money, they're still going to prison.
[00:27:16] Speaker A: Exactly. The feds take money laundering just as seriously as the fraud, because without it, scammers can't operate. This is precisely why money laundering carries such penalties and fines.
[00:27:29] Speaker B: Well, thanks for breaking all that down, Nick. What about other defendants?
[00:27:34] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great question, Sue. When a defendant flees the country, it doesn't mean the case is closed. Law enforcement uses several tools to track and apprehend fugitives, especially in high profile financial crimes like this.
[00:27:49] Speaker B: So what kind of tools are we talking about?
[00:27:51] Speaker A: First, there's the FBI's International Fugitive Program. The FBI has field offices and legal attaches in key countries, including Nigeria, where some of these suspects are believed to be hiding. These offices coordinate with local law enforcement to locate and arrest individuals wanted in the US Right, but can they actually.
[00:28:12] Speaker B: Get them back to the US if they're caught overseas?
[00:28:15] Speaker A: That depends on extradition treaties. The US Has a treaty with Nigeria, meaning if Nigerian authorities arrest one of these fugitives, they can be extradited back to the US to face trial. However, the process can take time, depending on legal challenges and cooperation from local officials.
[00:28:36] Speaker B: What if someone is hiding in a country without an extradition treaty?
[00:28:40] Speaker A: If a fugitive is in a country without an extradition treaty, US Law enforcement works through diplomatic channels to encourage cooperation. They might also wait for the fugitive to travel to a country that does have a treaty and arrest them there.
[00:28:56] Speaker B: Has that happened before?
[00:28:57] Speaker A: Absolutely. A good example is how many cybercriminals and fraudsters have been arrested while traveling through Europe or Asia, where US Law enforcement has stronger extradition agreements. It's a game of patience. Fugitives might feel safe, but the second they step into a cooperating country, they're on the radar.
[00:29:17] Speaker B: So basically, just because someone flees the US doesn't mean they're off the hook?
[00:29:21] Speaker A: No, it does not mean they are off the hook. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI, US Marshals, and Interpol are always watching. Many fugitives stay on wanted lists for decades, and when they least expect it, bam, they're arrested and sent back to face justice. When I was an agent, I would have quarterly discussions with Management about fugitives in my case pool that had not been caught yet. I had to tell management what steps I was taking to help find them. So it kept me on my toes, since I knew I had to respond to Management and explain what I was doing. To find my fugitives.
[00:30:02] Speaker B: That's reassuring to hear. So do you think some of these fugitives will eventually get caught?
[00:30:09] Speaker A: I'd say it's only a matter of time. With global law enforcement cooperation improving yearly, even those who fled are at risk of being tracked down. The government doesn't forget and they don't stop looking. Plus, these scammers know only one line of work, and that is scamming. They will likely get tied up in another large scale scam and see their good luck end for good.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Nick, before we wrap up, let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture. This case isn't just about a few frauds fraudsters getting caught. It's about the evolving nature of online crime and how law enforcement is adapting to take these networks down. The fact that federal agencies were able to track, arrest and convict so many individuals in this case shows that justice is catching up even in the digital age.
[00:31:02] Speaker A: Sue. That's right. But let's not forget, while the FBI and other law enforcement has made significant progress progress, Some fugitives are still out there.
This case serves as a reminder that scammers operate across borders using technology to hide. But they're never truly beyond reach. If you're involved in these schemes, your time will come.
[00:31:25] Speaker B: And for everyday people, this case is also a warning and a lesson. Scammers rely on deception, but awareness is our best defense. The more we understand their tactics, the harder it becomes for them to succeed.
[00:31:40] Speaker A: So stay sharp, stay skeptical, and always verify before you trust. If something feels off, it probably is.
[00:31:48] Speaker B: And with that, we'll wrap up today's episode of behind the Scams. If you found this discussion helpful, make sure to subscribe, share this podcast and leave us a review. And if you have a scam story or a topic you want us to cover, reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening. And remember, the best way to fight scams is to stay one step ahead. As always, stay safe, stay alert, and stay scam free. This is sue saying bye for now.
[00:32:19] Speaker A: And this is Nick. See you next time on behind the Scams. Bye for now.
