A Nigerian man, Matthew A. Akande, has been extradited to the United States to face serious charges related to fraud and computer hacking. Akande, who had been living in Mexico, is accused of breaking into tax firms’ computer systems and stealing sensitive taxpayer information. With this stolen data, he and his team allegedly filed over 1,000 fake tax returns, trying to claim more than $8.1 million in refunds.
Authorities say Akande was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. After months of legal proceedings, he was brought to the U.S. on March 5, 2025, to stand trial in a Boston federal court.
Akande has been charged with multiple crimes, including wire fraud, identity theft, and hacking into protected computer systems. Each of these crimes carries serious penalties, with some charges leading to as many as 20 years in prison.
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How the Fraud Was Carried Out
Akande and his co-conspirators, including Kehinde H. Oyetunji, allegedly ran this scheme from June 2016 to June 2021. Their goal was simple: steal taxpayer information and use it to file fake tax returns, tricking the government into sending them large refunds.
To gain access to this sensitive information, Akande allegedly sent fake emails to tax preparation firms in Massachusetts. These emails appeared to be from potential clients looking for help with their taxes. However, they contained hidden malware, known as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT), which gave the fraudsters control over the firms’ computer systems.
Once inside the systems, the hackers could steal Social Security numbers, past tax records, and other personal details of unsuspecting taxpayers. The fraudsters then used this information to file fake tax returns in the victims’ names.
The fraudulent refunds were then deposited into bank accounts controlled by the criminals. Some of the stolen money was withdrawn in cash inside the U.S., while the rest was sent to other individuals in Mexico, allegedly under Akande’s direction. Over five years, this scheme is believed to have successfully stolen more than $1.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
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Legal Consequences and Charges
The charges against Akande are severe. He faces multiple counts, including:
- Conspiracy to commit fraud and unauthorized computer access – Up to 5 years in prison.
- Wire fraud – Up to 20 years in prison.
- Unauthorized access to protected computers – Up to 5 years in prison.
- Theft of government money – Up to 10 years in prison.
- Aggravated identity theft – A mandatory additional 2-year sentence.
Each charge also carries a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of money stolen, whichever is greater. The final sentence will be determined by a federal judge, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with help from the FBI and the IRS. The extradition process was managed by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs in cooperation with the U.K. authorities.
The U.S. government has made it clear that they take cybercrime and tax fraud very seriously. Anyone engaging in such activities can face severe punishment, no matter where they are in the world.
For now, Akande remains in custody, awaiting trial. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
