Ivorian national charged in $14 million fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas

TYLER, Texas – A national of Côte d’Ivoire has been indicted in a $14 million fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Koffi Dongo Parfait Teya, 30, of Core D’Ivoire, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud; and unauthorized use of an access device. The three-count indictment alleges that Teya and associates utilized an email phishing scheme to target travel agencies with deceptive emails. They sent emails claiming to be from the company that handles airline reservations for the travel agencies, stating there was a security update that required their login credentials. The emails included links to fake websites that closely resembled the real reservation company’s login page. When the travel agency employees entered their information, their credentials were stolen. The group then used the stolen credentials to access the legitimate reservation system and book airline tickets, charging the costs to the travel agencies’ accounts. In total, the scheme caused about $14 million in losses to approximately 430 travel agencies. Teya has been arrested in Cote D’Ivoire with the cooperation and assistance of law enforcement there although he will not be extradited to face charges in the Eastern District of Texas, but charges are expected to be pursued against him in Cote D’Ivoire. This case is a part of Operation Riptide, an FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cyber-enabled crime and fraud against the American people. Operation Riptide seeks to eliminate cyber-enabled crime, fraud, and predatory schemes that operate through organized criminal networks and the online services that support them, often reaching across borders to evade law enforcement. These schemes are especially destructive for family-owned and small businesses, often resulting in closures and financial ruin. This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###