IN SHORT: In 2017, a US court sentenced three Nigerian men to a total of 235 years in prison. Ignore Facebook posts claiming this is "breaking" news, suggesting the sentences were handed down in 2024.

Several posts on Facebook claim that a court in the US state of Mississippi has sentenced three Nigerian men to 235 years in prison for cyber fraud.

Part of one post, dated 18 July 2024, reads: "A jury found all three guilty of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud and theft of government properties."

The posts feature a collage of three men's mugshots and identify them by name. Users also claim that this is "breaking" news.

Cybercrime has become a significant problem in Nigeria. Several countries have arrested Nigerians in connection with online crimes.

As a result, Nigerians face increased suspicion when travelling or doing business in other countries.

Similar posts can be found here and here. (Note: See more listed instances at the end of this report.)

But did a Mississippi court jail these three Nigerians in 2024, as the posts suggest? We checked.

Old report resurfaces

Africa Check Googled the phrase "Mississippi court sentences three Nigerians to 235 years in prison" and found several news reports from May 2017.

The reports feature the same collage of the mugshots and the same names as in the Facebook posts.

In a press release on 25 May 2017, the US Department of Justice website also confirmed what the news agencies had reported, saying: "Three Nigerian nationals, who were extradited from South Africa to the Southern District of Mississippi in July 2015, were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in a large-scale international fraud network."

The press release also included the men's names, the same mentioned in the social media posts in 2024.

The trio were sentenced in Mississippi in May 2017, not July 2024.

Similar posts can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.