FBI arrest 22 suspected cybercriminals for Nigeria sake of sextortion
Di Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) say dem don arrest 22 cybercrime suspects, wey dey sexually blackmail and extort US minors.
FBI ontop dia website tok say di arrest na part of "Operation Artemis," one international operation wey dem launch for 2023, to fight di growing threat of sextortion among Nigerian-based sextortion rings.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration wit FBI conduct di investigation wey lead to di arrest of di suspects involved in di sextortion scheme.
Di agency tok say among di 22 subjects, approximately half of dem dey directly link to victims wey kill demsefs.
"Dis operation na step in di fight against child exploitation, bring justice and accountability to international perpetrators wey dey hide anonymously behind screens," FBI tok.
FBI also tok say dis operation dey necessary becos of di growing rate of sextortion, wey dey related to suicide among America male teenage population, between age 14 and 17, wey dey connected to Nigerian fraudsters in di last three years.
"FBI announce global operation to combat financially motivated sextortion schemes wey dey operate from Nigeria. In coordination wit multiple law enforcement partners, di FBI conduct Operation Artemis, " di statement tok.
"As a result of Operation Artemis, FBI investigations don lead to di arrests of 22 Nigerian suspects wey dey connected to financially motivated sextortion schemes, of dis 22 suspects, approximately half dey directly linked to victims wey take dia own lives."
Di agency tok say dem begin to observe di sextortion of minors by fraudsters wey base in Nigeria wen dem receive 30% tips related to sextortion between October 2024 and March 2025.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center tok say victims report 34,000 cases for 2023, 54,000 teenagers fall victim to di schemes for 2024.
Ova di last two years victims don lose nearly $65 million due to dis crime and more dan 20 minor victims don die by suicide.
"Dis announcement dey come as di FBI don observe 30% increase in sextortion-related tips wey dem receive from October 2024 to March 2025 as compared to di previous year," di statement tok.
FBI Director, Kash Patel, indicate say di recent operation show say di agency dey determined to "pursue di heinous criminals wey dey harm children no mata wia dem dey hide."
Sextortion: how fraudesters dey cause di death of dia victims
Alarming rate of dis cases don make FBI open investigations across di kontri to identify nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated sextortion.
Di suspects dey operate in financially motivated sextortion schemes by contacting victims via social media platforms and den dem go pose as dia agemate or potential romantic partner.
Once dem don build trust, through di direct messages, di suspects go make dia dia victims take and share nude images of demsefs. Offenders go den threaten to release di nude fotos unless dem send dem money immediately through gift cards, mobile payment services, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
Weda dem receive di payment or not, di perpetrators go continue to manipulate dia victims, leading to di shame, isolation, and death among dia victims.
Dis no be di first time dem go indict Nigerians for sextortion mata. For September 2024, US goment bin sentence two Nigerian brodas Samuel and Samson Ogoshi to 210 months (17 and half years) for jail.
US District Judge Robert J. Jonker sentence den afta dem find di brodas guilty of di death of one17-year-old boy, Jordan DeMay wey dem deceive to take and send dem sexual images of imsef.
Dem chop jail sentence afta US goment extradite dem from Nigeria to di US make dem go face punishment for dia crimes.
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