A Nigerian man already serving a 78-month prison sentence in the United States for COVID-19 relief fraud has been handed an additional 18 months for a separate dividend fraud scheme. Adepoju Babatunde Salako, a Pennsylvania resident, pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to a 2022 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend fraud scheme.
Details of the Fraud Scheme
According to court documents, Salako fraudulently obtained the personal information of several Alaska residents between January and February 2022. He used this data to submit seven fake applications for Permanent Fund Dividend payments. Investigators revealed that he created email accounts linked to the victims and accessed their “myAlaska” online profiles, altering contact and banking details to redirect payments to accounts under his control.
Use of VPN and Detection
Authorities stated that Salako employed a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to disguise his location, making the applications appear to originate from Alaska. However, records later traced some activity to Philadelphia. The Alaska Department of Revenue detected the fraud and rejected the applications before any payments were made. Officials noted that the scheme could have cost the state and victims nearly $23,000.
Legal Consequences
Salako pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud. The 18-month sentence will run concurrently with a separate Colorado case, where he was sentenced to 78 months for COVID-19 relief fraud and international money laundering offenses involving $2.5 million in restitution.
Official Reaction
Reacting to the case, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman said, “Mr. Salako spent considerable time planning and perpetrating his scheme to defraud the Alaska PFD. Thanks to the great work of the Alaska Department of Revenue and FBI, he didn’t succeed; but even attempting to defraud the PFD will not be tolerated and could result in federal prison.”
