Key Points
- EFCC arrests 792 suspects in Lagos raid on fraud syndicate.
- Suspects ran romance and crypto scams targeting global victims.
- Seized items include phones, laptops, and vehicles in the operation.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided the Big Leaf Building, a seven-story structure in Lagos thought to be a key hub for international fraud, and detained 792 suspects.
EFCC arrests 792 suspects in Lagos fraud raid
According to EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects, who include 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and numerous Nigerians, were taken into custody on December 10. According to reports, a call center located in the opulent property was used to target victims from the Americas and Europe with phony investment proposals and romantic scams.
According to Uwujaren, scammers working out of the facility reached out to victims via chat apps and social media sites including WhatsApp and Instagram. Reuters stated that, proposals of lucrative investment opportunities, such as cryptocurrency schemes, were used to entice victims into phony romantic relationships.
After being lured in, the victims were coerced into sending money for fictitious company endeavors and cryptocurrency investments that never existed.
According to Uwujaren, the international kingpins enlisted Nigerian associates to use phishing to find victims online, primarily targeting Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and a few others from European nations.
He went on to say that foreign syndicate members took over and executed the real scamming procedure after Nigerian operatives had earned the trust of the victims.
Agents seize phones, laptops, and vehicles in crackdown
According to the EFCC, during the operation, its agents seized laptops, phones, and vehicles. Uwujaren affirmed that the commission is working with international partners to look into potential connections between organized criminal networks and the fraud syndicate.
The EFCC’s larger efforts to combat transnational cybercrime, which has seen a rise in online romance and cryptocurrency schemes that target victims overseas, include this arrest.
Nigeria’s continuous battle against financial crime and its dedication to international collaboration to stop cross-border fraud are highlighted by the EFCC’s raid.
