British-Nigerian hacker could serve 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to $6m fraud in US court

Idris Dayo Mustapha, a British-Nigerian man has confessed to defrauding and stealing more than $6m over seven years.

33-year-old Mustapha who confessed in the US court according to officials is part of a hacking ring that infiltrated email and brokerage accounts of US firms between 2011 and 2018, causing losses worth $6m.

He is likely to spend more than 20 years in jail as he awaits sentencing.

Mustapha, a dual national was extradited from the UK in August, two years after his arrest.

BBC reports he pleaded guilty at a court in Brooklyn, New York to the four charges brought against him.

Prosecutors charged him with computer intrusion, securities fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.

Authorities say Mustapha and his ring hacked into the computer servers of financial institutions in the US to access confidential user data, such as users' personal identifying information, BBC reports.

The information they acquired will then be used to wire funds and transfer securities from the accounts of their victims to accounts under their control.

Details on accounts are also used to conduct stock trades without the knowledge of the account holder.

Mustapha has been on the radar of US authorities for several years.

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