FACT CHECK: Claim that Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boy’ scammed Donald Trump of $250,000 is misleading

The claim
A viral post on X claimed that a Nigerian fraudster, often referred to locally as a “Yahoo boy,” scammed former United States President Donald Trump out of $250,000 in relation to his 2025 inauguration.

The post, viewed more than 1.9 million times, reads: “A Yahoo boy scammed a whole Donald Trump, the President of US, 250,000 dollars. Some of you are audacious.”

The claim was shared by several social media users and reinforced by a report from Peoples Gazette, which carried the headline: “FBI pursues Lagos Yahoo Boy for defrauding U.S. President Donald Trump of 2025 inauguration funds.”

The facts
The claim is misleading. Official records from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and statements from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirm that while a scam involving $250,300 in cryptocurrency did occur, Donald Trump was not the victim. Instead, a donor intending to contribute to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee was deceived into sending the money to a fraudulent wallet.

In a press release dated 2 July 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced it had filed a civil forfeiture complaint for $40,300 worth of USDT.ETH, part of the funds traced to a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. The fraudsters impersonated Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, by using an email address with a subtly altered domain:

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Real: @t47inaugural.com
Fake: @t47lnaugural.com (with a lowercase “L” replacing “I”)

Believing the email to be legitimate, the donor transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH on 26 December 2024 to a wallet controlled by the scammer.

According to the DOJ, the funds were quickly moved through multiple wallets. FBI agents were able to recover a portion—$40,300—and filed for its forfeiture.

There is no evidence that Donald Trump sent or lost any money in the incident. The scam merely used the name of Trump and his committee to deceive the victim. The involvement of Trump is limited to the event being used as a lure, not as a participant or victim. 

The suspect
An investigation led by the FBI traced the fraudulent cryptocurrency transactions and IP activity to a Binance account “held in the name of Ehiremen Aigbokhan,” a Lagos-based suspect, a court document shows.

“It appeared likely that Aigbokhan received an international transfer of funds from the U.S. to Nigeria as a result of his fraudulent activity,” prosecutors said in the document.

According to the document seen by The Guardian, the FBI is now seeking his arrest, and digital forensics links him to the Binance account that received part of the stolen funds.

The suspect allegedly used several crypto wallets and exchanges to launder the money. The FBI seized a total of 40,353 USDT.ETH, which it said was connected to the fraud, with part of it coming from Aigbokhan’s accounts.

While Peoples Gazette accurately detailed the cyber trail and financial recovery, its headline and framing suggested that Donald Trump was personally defrauded—a claim not supported by FBI or DOJ documentation.

What the experts say
“Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said FBI Assistant Director Steven J. Jensen in the DOJ’s statement. He advised the public to verify email addresses carefully and avoid sending funds to unfamiliar contacts, especially in cryptocurrency.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro added: “All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient. It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds…”

While U.S. authorities did trace the scam to the Nigerian suspect, Donald Trump was not the victim. The money came from a donor who was deceived by a spoofed email. The claim that a “Yahoo boy scammed Donald Trump” is misleading and incorrect.

Fact Check Verdict: MISLEADING
Trump was not personally defrauded. The real victim was a donor tricked into sending money to a scammer impersonating Trump’s inaugural team.