Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 2 hrs ago
Nigerian hacker sentenced to eight years for tax and investment fraud
Chukwuemeka Amachukwu was sentenced to eight years in US prison for hacking tax preparation businesses and taking part in fraud schemes.
The Nigerian national was extradited from France in 2025 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.
He and other hackers used phishing emails to break into tax firms in New York, Texas and other states between 2019 and 2021.
They stole personal and tax information belonging to about 800 customers and used it to seek $8.4 million in tax refunds, receiving about $2.5 million.
Fraudulent loan applications brought in another $819,000, while a separate fake investment scheme took more than $7 million from victims.
The case shows how stolen customer data was used to target both taxpayers and US businesses.
Amachukwu must also pay $3.6 million in restitution and serve one year of supervised release after prison; the court also ordered him to forfeit nearly $11 million.
Chukwuemeka Amachukwu was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in hacking tax preparation businesses and carrying out fraud schemes.
The Nigerian national pleaded guilty to multiple charges after being extradited from France to the United States.
Prosecutors said the group stole tax and personal information belonging to at least 800 customers and obtained about $2.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
The group also obtained about $819,000 through fraudulent loan applications and stole more than $7 million through a fake investment scheme.
The court ordered Amachukwu to pay $3.6 million or more in restitution, and BleepingComputer reported that he must also forfeit nearly $11 million.
- Who
- Nigerian national Chukwuemeka Amachukwu, also known as Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung.
- What
- He was sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in hacking and fraud schemes.
- When
- The sentence was reported on October 20, 2026. The attacks on tax businesses took place between 2019 and 2021.
- Where
- The attacks targeted tax preparation businesses in New York, Texas, and other U.S. states.
- Why
- Prosecutors said he and his accomplices stole customer information and used it to file fraudulent tax and loan applications and pursue fake investments.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Amachukwu and his accomplices launched spearphishing attacks against tax preparation businesses and stole customer information.
Amachukwu was extradited from France to the United States, according to BleepingComputer.
Amachukwu was sentenced to eight years in prison.
- Prison sentence
- 8 years
- Tax customers affected
- At least 800
- Fraudulent tax refunds obtained
- About $2.5 million
- Fraudulent loan payouts
- About $819,000
- Fake investment scheme proceeds
- More than $7 million
- Restitution
- $3.6 million or more
3 sources
What people are saying
Chukwuemeka Amachukwu believed he was operating safely offshore when he targeted his victims, but he has now been held to account and now faces a serious sentence for his crimes
These crimes imposed significant harm on the victims and the public, and so it is only appropriate that the crimes also come with a significant sentence for the defendant.