Two Nigerian nationals, Shodiya Babatunde, 43, and Jamui Ahmed, 31, have been indicted for their roles in a fraudulent business email compromise scheme aimed at multiple health care companies in Minnesota, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Court documents reveal that between October 2020 and 2024, Babatunde and Ahmed orchestrated a scheme to mislead employees of several Minnesota-based health care firms into diverting payments to bank accounts they controlled, rather than the intended recipients.
The duo created a counterfeit “spoofed” internet domain that mimicked Fairview Health’s online presence. They also set up fake email accounts designed to resemble those of Fairview Health executives, including the CEO, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and a business analyst. Utilizing these fraudulent emails, they executed a “phishing” operation to illegally acquire usernames, passwords, and access to payment accounts. Furthermore, they contacted several Minnesota health insurance companies, instructing them to wire payments intended for Fairview Health to newly established accounts that were, unbeknownst to the companies, actually controlled by Babatunde and Ahmed and their accomplices. In total, the pair misappropriated over $13 million in payments meant for Fairview Health.
Babatunde and Ahmed, who are both citizens of Nigeria, remain fugitives.
This case is part of an investigation led by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson overseeing the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
