11 people in Harris County arrested in email scam

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Eleven Harris County individuals were arrested for cybercrimes targeting businesses, according to federal prosecutors.

According to the FBI, Katera Baldwin, Adedayo Ojo, Denise McAdams, Amarachukwu Onyeneke, Oghenemairo Adolor, Oluwatomiwa Odebode, Omotayo Arogundade, Monsurat Ashimi, Gbenga Fadipe, Julius Choima and Bolade Duyilemi are all suspects facing money laundering charges after allegedly taking part in a business email scam.

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The scam is known as Business Email Compromise, or BEC. BEC targets people who work with foreign suppliers and often utilize wire transfer payments, so receiving requests for money via email is not uncommon. BEC scammers often pose as a company CEO and email requests for money to be sent via wire transfer.

“The devastating effects of BEC and EAC scams on domestic victims impact not only the individual but the global economy,” FBI Houston Special Agent Perrye K. Turner said. “Scammers have stolen millions of dollars from individual victims and honest, enterprising businesses around the world.”

According to the FBI, the Harris County suspects were caught in a large-scale international operation known as “Operation Wire Wire.” Multiple Houston agencies were involved in the operation, including the FBI Houston Cyber Task Force, the Houston Police Department, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Many Houstonians have fallen victim to the scam. In 2017, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received complaints from 1,258 victims within the state of Texas.

“To avoid becoming a victim of BEC and EAC scams, verify the authenticity of any email you receive, especially those that request you to send money through a wire transfer,” Turner said.

If you believe you’ve fallen victim to a scam, you can report it to the FBI here.