The United States Department of Justice has charged 11 Nigerians with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to a statement released by the agency on Wednesday, over 50 victims sent more than $9 million to the defendants through online fraud schemes.

READ ALSO: Names, Ages… All 34 Nigerians Arrested for Wire Fraud in the US

“Victims were typically defrauded in one of two ways,” the statement reads in part. “In some instances, business email compromise fraud schemes were used to trick businesses into transferring funds to bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients of the funds as part of normal business operations, when in fact the bank accounts were under the control of the defendants or their conspirators.

“In other instances, romance scams were used, primarily through electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, social media, or online dating websites, to deceive victims—many of whom were vulnerable older men and women—into believing they were in romantic relationships with fake identities, and then using false pretenses to cause the victims to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by the defendants or their co-conspirators.”

READ ALSO: US Authorities ‘Assault’ Nigerian Woman, Eject Her From Husband’s House

The suspects arrested are:

However, the US Department of Justice noted in the statement that the indictments are mere allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.