FBI Uncovers ₦460 Million Crypto Scam Targeting Trump’s 2025 Inauguration, Links Trail to Lagos Yahoo Boy

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The FBI has uncovered a shocking international fraud scheme involving over ₦460 million (approximately $250,300) in stolen cryptocurrency originally intended to support the 2025 inauguration of current U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The suspect at the center of the cybercrime is a Lagos-based Nigerian national, Ehiremen Aigbokhan, who is now facing U.S. federal charges after investigators traced the stolen funds directly to his Binance crypto wallet.

According to court filings, the scam was carried out using a Business Email Compromise (BEC) technique, in which the fraudster created a fake domain — @t47lnaugural.com — that closely mimicked the official email of a Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee co-chair. Using this fake address, Aigbokhan and his conspirators sent deceptive emails to a campaign donor, who unknowingly transferred 250,300 USDT (Tether cryptocurrency) on December 26, 2024, believing the funds were supporting the inauguration of President Trump.

Despite the assumption that crypto offers anonymity, law enforcement followed a clear and traceable path on the Ethereum blockchain. By analyzing the transaction records, the FBI traced the stolen funds from the donor’s wallet to intermediary addresses and eventually to a Know-Your-Customer (KYC)-verified Binance account registered to Aigbokhan in Lagos. Binance, a globally regulated cryptocurrency exchange, was compelled by a legal subpoena to provide user data, which helped U.S. authorities identify and link the fraudulent activity directly to the suspect.

In addition to Binance’s cooperation, crypto issuer Tether assisted the FBI by freezing over 40,000 USDT (approximately ₦60 million) linked to the scam on December 31, 2024. Federal agents have now filed a civil forfeiture complaint to permanently seize the recovered funds, while Aigbokhan faces charges related to wire fraud and money laundering.

This incident highlights the growing global threat of cyber-enabled financial crimes and the increasing use of cryptocurrency in such operations. Yet, it also demonstrates how blockchain’s transparency, combined with international cooperation, can dismantle even the most complex digital fraud networks.

The fact that the scam targeted the sitting president’s inauguration adds a dramatic twist to the case, reinforcing urgent calls for tighter security around political donations, particularly in the digital age. While President Trump has not commented publicly on the matter, the incident has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities surrounding political fundraising and the evolving tactics of international fraudsters.

As the investigation continues, the case of Ehiremen Aigbokhan serves as a clear message to cybercriminals: cryptocurrency may be decentralized, but it is far from invisible.