Two Nigerian nationals have been indicted in connection with a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded several Minnesota-based health care companies of more than $13 million, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced.
The suspects, identified as Shodiya Babatunde, 43, and Jamui Ahmed, 31, allegedly conducted the fraudulent scheme between October 2020 and 2024. According to court documents, the two devised a plan to deceive employees of health care companies by posing as executives of Fairview Health, a prominent health care provider in the state. The scheme involved directing payments intended for Fairview Health to bank accounts controlled by the suspects and their co-conspirators.
As part of the scam, Babatunde and Ahmed created a spoofed internet domain, designed to closely resemble the official Fairview Health domain. They also set up fraudulent email accounts mimicking high-ranking executives, including the CEO, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and a business analyst. These fake accounts were then used in a phishing campaign to acquire login credentials, enabling the defendants to reroute payments.
The fraudsters contacted several health insurance companies in Minnesota, falsely representing themselves as Fairview Health personnel. They provided the companies with new payment instructions, convincing them to wire funds to accounts under their control instead of Fairview Health’s legitimate accounts.
Authorities estimate that Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators diverted over $13 million in payments intended for Fairview Health. Both Babatunde and Ahmed are currently fugitives and remain in Nigeria.
The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson is handling the prosecution.
