Decatur, Georgia – A $158,000 payment for strawberry seeds turned into a costly cyber fraud case after an agricultural company sent money to an account controlled by a Decatur woman, according to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
The scheme relied on one small but critical detail: an email address that looked almost identical to the address used by a legitimate Oregon business. That deception led to two wire transfers and, years later, a criminal sentence involving prison time, probation and full restitution.
Read also: Atlanta’s streets, parks and fire stations see major progress under four-year-old investment program
Ogechi Urenna Udunka, 44, of Decatur, pleaded to two counts of Theft by Taking and two counts of Money Laundering for her role in the Business Email Compromise, or BEC, scam.
A Gwinnett County Superior Court judge sentenced Udunka under Georgia’s First Offender Act to 10 years. She must serve the first 90 days in prison, with the remainder of the sentence on probation. She was also ordered to repay the full $158,000 and complete 200 hours of community service.
The case dates to June 2021. On June 15 and June 30, Udunka received two wire transfers totaling $158,000. Authorities said the money came from an agricultural company that believed it was paying an Oregon company for strawberry seeds.
Read also: Atlanta wants stricter rules for police camera technology after massive license plate search audit
Instead, the payment requests had come from an email address designed to closely resemble the legitimate company’s address. After the money arrived, investigators said Udunka carried out several transactions intended to conceal where the funds came from and distributed portions of the stolen money to herself and others.
“Our White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit is leading the fight against cyber-enabled fraud – protecting businesses and consumers,” Carr said.
“This is a growing threat, and it’s why we have continued to pursue those who are moving stolen funds so we can stop a scam in its tracks.”
BEC schemes involve fraudulent messages that appear to come from trusted sources and request legitimate-looking payments. The FBI describes Business Email Compromise scams as a major form of online fraud. According to statistics from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, such scams caused more than $3 billion in losses last year.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Joseph Chappelle.
Officials urge victims of cyber fraud to immediately contact their financial institution, local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Additional scam-prevention resources are available through the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
