In a shocking revelation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has filed a civil forfeiture complaint against a Nigerian man, Ehiremen Aigbokhan, accused of stealing over ₦460 million in cryptocurrency meant for the inauguration of former President Donald Trump in January 2025.
Court documents revealed that Aigbokhan allegedly ran a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) scam from Lagos, Nigeria. The suspect reportedly created fake email addresses that closely resembled those of officials on the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
Investigators said Aigbokhan used an almost identical email address, swapping a lowercase “L” for an uppercase “I”, to impersonate committee co-chair Steve Witkoff. This tricked a donor into sending 250,300 USDT.ETH (a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar) on December 26, 2024.
Authorities disclosed that the funds, worth more than ₦400 million at the time, were quickly moved to several digital wallets. However, the FBI, working with cryptocurrency company Tether, froze the accounts on December 31 after spotting suspicious activities.
Forensic analysis traced the fraud to Lagos, linking the crypto wallet to a Binance account opened by Aigbokhan in October 2024. Officials said the account had no previous deposits until the stolen funds landed.
U.S. authorities seized a total of 40,353 USDT.ETH from Aigbokhan’s wallet and a connected account, valued at over ₦60 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice is now asking the court to permanently forfeit the seized crypto. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr. confirmed that Aigbokhan also faces money laundering and wire fraud charges.
While the FBI has not confirmed if extradition processes have begun, they described the scam as one of the most significant cybercrimes linked to a U.S. presidential event.
This incident has sparked fresh calls for tighter cybersecurity in political fundraising and highlighted the rising threat of international cybercrime syndicates. Officials are urging donors and organisations to always verify email communications and payment details before approving large transfers.
