A Nigerian man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after running a phishing scam that targeted students in the UK.
Arrested by London's now defunct Metropolitan Police e-crime unit, 29-year-old Olajide Onikoyi of Manchester, pleaded guilty to the ruse, as well as one charge of money laundering, and will serve three years and nine months in prison for the ruse.
According to a report by The Guardian, Onikoyi targeted students with messages that led them to a bogus student loan site. There, they were prompted to submit banking details, which he used to make fraudulent withdrawals. The largest was more than $31,000.
In all, 238 victims were affected by the scam, and more than $640,000 was stolen. After seizing his computer, authorities analyzed chat logs that revealed he conspired with others in the UK, as well as Russia and Lithuania.
