Two Nigerians, Eneye Dania and Osariemen Isibor have been sentenced to a combined 31 months in prison. Dania, 31, was sentenced to 17 months, while Isibor, 32, will serve 14 months.
Both men are being jailed over a “spearfishing” email scheme seeking to steal personal information from Vermont state employees and file fraudulent tax returns.
The two men pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Rutland in March. According to federal officials, Dania and Isibor sent emails to employees of local governments, colleges and universities designed to look like they were sent from human resource departments.
The sent emails gave the impression that employees were being provided information about how to file their taxes, with a fake link promising access to payroll and tax with holding data. That link instead went to a page operated by members of the scheme, who captured login credentials.
Subsequently, the information received was used to access the real accounts of employees, and then attempt to file fake tax returns, with the hopes of receiving a tax refund. The Internal Revenue Service blocked most of the fraudulent filings before refunds were issued.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice statement on the sentencing released Wednesday, both men participated in the email scheme while in Nigeria, and then travelled to the U.S. after committing the crime.
Both men will be returned back to Nigeria after serving their jail terms.