United States: Four men from Delaware have been charged with a major sextortion and money laundering scheme. The men—Sidi Diakite, 30; Almamy Diaby, 22; Abdul Aziz Sangare, 26; and Abdoul Aziz Traore, 31—were either arrested or turned themselves in between August 20 and September 5.
The charges allege that they targeted thousands of people in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. by pretending to be young women online. They recorded their victims during private moments and then threatened to share these recordings unless the victims paid money. The scheme reportedly tried to steal $6.9 million, successfully taking $1.9 million through apps like CashApp and Apple Pay.
Two others are also charged: Hadja Kone from Wilmington, who was arrested earlier this year, and Siaka Ouattara from Côte d’Ivoire, who was arrested in February.
The men face up to 20 years in prison for each charge if convicted. The FBI is leading the investigation with help from the Justice Department and Côte d’Ivoire authorities. For more information or to report sextortion, visit the Justice Department’s website.
