Nigerian tech enthusiast Sapphire Egemasi has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over her alleged role in a multimillion-dollar fraud operation that targeted U.S. government agencies.
Egemasi, known online as the “tech queen,” was arrested around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx area of New York, alongside several co-conspirators, including Samuel Kwadwo Osei, a Ghanaian national, believed to be the mastermind behind the elaborate operation.
The arrests follow a federal indictment issued in 2024, accusing the suspects of internet fraud and money laundering. The alleged offences took place between September 2021 and February 2023.
Investigators say Egemasi and her Ghanaian co-defendants were involved in a scheme that defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars. Her specific role allegedly involved designing fake websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals. These were used to steal login credentials and enable the transfer of stolen funds.
Although she was reportedly living in Cambridge, United Kingdom, before her arrest, U.S. authorities believe she had previously lived in Ghana, where she may have forged connections with her co-conspirators.
Egemasi was reportedly the tech lead in the group, overseeing the creation of the fraudulent sites and managing wire transfers to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Text messages presented by investigators reportedly show that in August 2022, about \$965,000 stolen from Kentucky was diverted into a PNC Bank account. An additional \$330,000 was allegedly transferred into a Bank of America account.
To hide the source of her money, Egemasi reportedly claimed to have completed internships at companies such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.
Popularly known online as the “tech queen”, she presented a polished image on LinkedIn, showcasing her skills and lifestyle. Prosecutors say her luxurious trips to places like Greece and Portugal were funded with proceeds from the scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice has indicated that more arrests may follow as investigations continue into the syndicate’s full network and the scale of the financial damage caused.
If convicted, Egemasi and her co-defendants could face decades in federal prison.
