Four Suspects are under arrest by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) in relation to allegations of sextortion and romance scams.
The three Suspects are , Abodunrin Rasheed, Abodunrin Tunde, and Abodunrin Rokeeb.
The suspects pretended to be women after meeting a Croatian national on a dating app.
“Their continuous chats progressed to Instagram and WhatsApp leading to an intimate relationship,” Adejobi said
“However, the Croatian was deceived into sending nude pictures of himself through the dating app.
“The suspects subsequently conspired and pressured him to pay ransom or have his pictures sent to his family and friends.”
the suspects were captured as a result of a complaint made through the NPF-NCCC’s e-reporting portal.
Among the exhibits found were six iPhones, a Techno phone, a Samsung phone, and a Lexus vehicle. “Further investigations revealed that the suspects have previously engaged in numerous similar cybercriminal activities, both collectively and individually, defrauding and extorting numerous victims globally,”
“The proceeds of these crimes were primarily received through gift cards like the iTunes gift cards, steam gift cards etc.
“The suspects will be charged in court upon completion of the investigations.”
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta, announced in July that it had deleted 63,000 Nigerian accounts that were connected to sextortion schemes.
Two Nigerian brothers who used a sextortion scheme to target a 17-year-old were given a 17 years and six months prison sentence by a US court last month.
The victim, a schoolboy took his own life after the brothers threatened to publish his naked photos.
With sextortion becoming a fast-growing cybercrime frequently associated with Nigeria, the sentencing was the first instance of successful prosecution of Nigerians for the offence in the US.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun advised people to be cautious of questionable internet activity and cautioned cybercriminals to stop.
Growing Concern
Sextortion is a growing concern, with the FBI reporting it as one of the fastest-growing crimes targeting children in the US Many of these cases have been linked back to Nigeria, a hotspot for internet scams
Investigation and Prosecution
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center's arrest of the three brothers marks a significant step in combating sextortion scams. The investigation and prosecution of such cases are crucial in holding perpetrators accountable and preventing further harm to victims.
