Nigeria arrests nearly 800 suspects in crypto romance scams

As a seasoned crypto investor with a fair share of experiences under my belt, this latest development in Nigeria’s crackdown on “crypto romance scams” is a breath of fresh air. I’ve personally been a victim of such scams, and it’s not an enjoyable experience I’d wish upon anyone.

In a large-scale operation, Nigeria’s corruption-fighting unit apprehended 792 individuals following a raid on a building in Victoria Island, Lagos – the nation’s biggest city. This building served as a base for running deceptive schemes before the raid.

In these types of scams, known as “cryptocurrency romance scams,” the deceitful actors lure their victims by expressing romantic interest. When the victims become deeply involved, the crooks persuade them to transfer money for supposed cryptocurrency investments or other fictional ventures.

Based on an AsiaOne report, a combined total of 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Khazartans, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian were detained during the agency’s operation.

The main method employed by these wrongdoers was leveraging social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram for establishing contact with their victims. A wide range of individuals, including many Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and people from various European nations, were unfortunately targeted as victims in these scams.

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Wilson Uwujaren, speaking on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, stated that they were working closely with global counterparts and would examine any possible associations with organized criminal activities.

Additionally, he mentioned that during a search operation, they confiscated computers, mobile devices, and automobiles.

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2024-12-17 14:13