Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested 792 suspects during a raid on a building believed to be a hub for international fraud operations.
The suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, were detained on December 10 at the seven-story Big Leaf Building in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren announced.
The luxury building allegedly housed a call center targeting victims across the Americas and Europe. Fraudsters reportedly lured victims through social media and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram, seducing them with offers of romance or enticing them with seemingly lucrative investment opportunities.
Once victims were drawn in, they were coerced into transferring money for fake cryptocurrency investments and other fraudulent schemes, Uwujaren explained.
“Nigerian accomplices were recruited by the foreign kingpins to prospect for victims online through phishing, targeting mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and others from European countries,” Uwujaren said. “Once the Nigerians secured the victims’ confidence, the foreign operators would carry out the actual defrauding.”
The EFCC seized computers, phones, and vehicles during the raid and is now working with international partners to investigate possible links to organized crime.
This operation highlights the global scale of online fraud networks and Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime.
