Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’ Sapphire Egemasi Faces 20 Years in U.S. Prison Over Multimillion-Dollar Cyber Fraud Scheme

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A Nigerian tech entrepreneur known online as the “Tech Queen,” Sapphire Egemasi, is at the centre of a high-profile cyber fraud case in the United States, where she faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Egemasi, a celebrated programmer with a strong social media following, was arrested by FBI agents in April 2025 in New York. U.S. authorities allege she masterminded a sophisticated cyber scheme involving the creation of fake U.S. government websites to steal login credentials and defraud federal agencies out of millions of dollars between 2021 and 2023.

According to federal court documents, two specific fraudulent transactions—one amounting to $965,000 and another $330,000—are central to the charges. The investigation also links multiple shell accounts and cryptocurrency wallets to the scheme.

She is currently being held in custody in Lexington, Kentucky, pending trial.

While Egemasi maintained a glamorous online persona—regularly posting photos in designer outfits and luxury vacation destinations—investigators allege that much of her displayed wealth was funded by illicit activity. However, these claims remain unproven in court.

No public statements have yet been made by her legal team, and court records show she has not entered a formal plea. As the U.S. legal process unfolds, she remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The arrest has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s tech and influencer communities, sparking a wave of online debate over digital ethics, cybercrime, and the pressures of living a curated luxury lifestyle online.

This case adds to a growing list of cybercrime-related prosecutions involving Nigerian nationals abroad, raising questions about digital security, international cooperation, and how authorities are tracking cyber-enabled financial fraud.