An 18-year-old internet fraudster, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, has been sentenced to a fine of N200,000 and ordered to pay N1 million to the Federal Government for defrauding an American citizen of $800 through a fake lottery scheme.
Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted Olamilekan on October 30, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to the commission, Olamilekan impersonated an American woman identified as Julie Leach on the Zangi messaging application to deceive his victim, Gary Brewer, a United States citizen.
The teenager reportedly informed Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed to pay some money to activate the winnings before he could access the supposed fortune.
Using the fabricated lottery story, Olamilekan allegedly convinced the American to send him gift cards worth $800 through the messaging platform.
The EFCC stated that the defendant admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money into his grandmother’s OPay account.
He also confessed to benefiting from the $800 obtained through the fraudulent transaction.
Further investigations revealed that Olamilekan operated several social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, to carry out his fraudulent activities.
The commission said the offence involved indirectly disguising the origin of $800 in gift cards, contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Delivering judgment, Justice Dipeolu ordered the defendant to pay a fine of N200,000 in addition to remitting N1 million to the Federal Government.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71 mobile phone recovered in connection with the crime.
Olamilekan is expected to remain in the correctional centre until he fulfils the court’s orders regarding the payment of the fine and restitution.
The EFCC further disclosed that the 18-year-old, who claimed to be from the Republic of Benin but was born in Nigeria, was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.
The arrest was carried out by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 as part of the commission’s efforts to tackle internet fraud and other financial crimes.
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