Nigerian woman sentenced to prison for serving as 'money mule' in financial fraud schemes

A Nigerian woman was on Thursday sentenced by a US judge to two and a half years in prison for serving as a money mule for various financial fraud schemes that targeted individuals in the United States and elsewhere.

30-year-old Deborah Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in June 2022, a US Department of Justice statement said. 

 “According to court documents, from June 2018 to August 2020, Deborah Anderson of Nigeria was part of a financial fraud conspiracy that obtained money from victims through fraudulent investment opportunities, romance scams, fraudulent sales or rentals, and other types of schemes.

Court documents show that Anderson served as a “money mule” or someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.  As part of the conspiracy, victims transferred money to accounts controlled by Anderson, who, in turn, transferred the funds to various unknown individuals in Nigeria,” the statement noted. 

She is also said to have used victim funds to purchase personal items and later exported those items to Nigeria.

In addition to her sentence, she has been ordered to pay $438,604.89 in restitution, the statement further said. 

“As part of the sentencing, Anderson was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at the conclusion of her sentence.”