The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria recently detained 792 individuals connected to a large-scale crypto romance scam.
Foreign Masterminds Behind the Scams
The EFCC’s operation targeted a major fraud ring, with arrests made following a raid on a building in Lagos believed to be a base for scammers. These fraudsters tricked victims into investing in fake cryptocurrency schemes.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s spokesperson, revealed that the suspects included 148 Chinese nationals and 40 Filipinos. The criminal group operated out of a high-end property in Lagos, and its victims were primarily from the U.S. and Europe. During the raid, EFCC agents seized various devices and vehicles.
“Nigerian accomplices were recruited by foreign leaders of the scheme to attract victims through online phishing, predominantly targeting Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and individuals from European countries,” said Uwujaren. After gaining victims’ trust, the Nigerian operatives would pass the case to their foreign counterparts, who would carry out the fraudulent activities. The EFCC is currently working with international partners to investigate further links to organized crime.
The arrests of the 792 suspects come on the heels of the EFCC’s detention of Nigerian Osang Otukpa, who allegedly swindled 139 Australians out of $5.04 million (AUD $8 million) in a complex crypto scam. Otukpa, using multiple aliases, led victims to invest in a fake platform called Liquid Asset Group. His arrest came on December 6, shortly after he arrived at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. He will face charges once EFCC’s investigation is concluded.
