The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed that a Nigerian internet fraudster, identified as Ehiremen Aigbokhan, orchestrated a sophisticated cyber scam that siphoned off more than ₦460 million meant for the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2025.
In a civil forfeiture complaint filed before a U.S. District Court, the FBI detailed how Mr. Aigbokhan, operating out of Lagos, Nigeria, masterminded a cryptocurrency-based fraud that exploited vulnerabilities in digital communication systems.
The operation was executed just weeks before the high-profile Trump-Vance inauguration, scheduled for January 20, 2025.
According to U.S. court documents, Aigbokhan and his associates used a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme to impersonate officials from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
They created fake email addresses that closely resembled that of Steve Witkoff, a real estate executive and co-chair of the event, to deceive a donor.
On December 26, 2024, the fraudsters successfully tricked the donor into transferring 250,300 USDT.ETH — a form of cryptocurrency — which was valued at over ₦400 million at the time.
The stolen funds were quickly dispersed across several digital wallets, with 215,000 USDT.ETH being moved within days.
The FBI, working with cryptocurrency firm Tether, identified the fraudulent activity and froze the affected accounts on December 31
Aigbokhan was traced to Lagos, Nigeria, prompting a full-scale investigation by U.S. authorities.
Aigbokhan is also wanted for his involvement in broader cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering operations.
In a press release dated 2 July 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced it had filed a civil forfeiture complaint for $40,300 worth of USDT.ETH, part of the funds traced to a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.
The fraudsters impersonated Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, by using an email address with a subtly altered domain:
Real: @t47inaugural.com
Fake: @t47lnaugural.com (with a lowercase “L” replacing “I”)
Believing the email to be legitimate, the donor transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH on 26 December 2024 to a wallet controlled by the scammer.
According to the DOJ, the funds were quickly moved through multiple wallets. FBI agents were able to recover a portion—$40,300—and filed for its forfeiture.
Meanwhile, contrary to claim shared by several social media users and reinforced by a report from Peoples Gazette, which carried the headline: “FBI pursues Lagos Yahoo Boy for defrauding U.S. President Donald Trump of 2025 inauguration funds.”
There is no evidence that Donald Trump sent or lost any money in the incident. The scam merely used the name of Trump and his committee to deceive the victim.
The involvement of Trump is limited to the event being used as a lure, not as a participant or victim.
An investigation led by the FBI traced the fraudulent cryptocurrency transactions and IP activity to a Binance account “held in the name of Ehiremen Aigbokhan,” a Lagos-based suspect, a court document shows.
“It appeared likely that Aigbokhan received an international transfer of funds from the U.S. to Nigeria as a result of his fraudulent activity,” prosecutors said in the document.
According to the document seen by The Guardian, the FBI is now seeking his arrest, and digital forensics links him to the Binance account that received part of the stolen funds
The suspect allegedly used several crypto wallets and exchanges to launder the money.
The FBI seized a total of 40,353 USDT.ETH, which it said was connected to the fraud, with part of it coming from Aigbokhan’s accounts.
While Peoples Gazette accurately detailed the cyber trail and financial recovery, its headline and framing suggested that Donald Trump was personally defrauded—a claim not supported by FBI or DOJ documentation.
“Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said FBI Assistant Director Steven J. Jensen in the DOJ’s statement.
He advised the public to verify email addresses carefully and avoid sending funds to unfamiliar contacts, especially in cryptocurrency.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro added: “All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient.
It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds…”
While U.S. authorities did trace the scam to the Nigerian suspect, Donald Trump was not the victim. The money came from a donor who was deceived by a spoofed email.
The claim that a “Yahoo boy scammed Donald Trump” is misleading and incorrect.
Trump was not personally defrauded. The real victim was a donor tricked into sending money to a scammer impersonating Trump’s inaugural team.