The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested seven suspected members of an online investment fraud syndicate operating from Agbor, Delta State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, saying the arrests followed a coordinated investigation supported by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and intelligence provided by Meta.
Hundeyin identified the suspects as Collins Ogwuorie, Christian Ogwuorie, Gbenoba Emmanuel, Samuel Olufemi, Collins Victor, Onyeka Emenem and Kefas Ogunbor.
According to him, the suspects allegedly ran an online scam operation that relied on fake social media accounts to impersonate well-known cryptocurrency traders, deceiving victims into investing on platforms presented as legitimate.
He said investigations revealed that the syndicate targeted victims in the United States of America who were based in the United Kingdom, as well as other UK residents, using phishing tactics and fraudulent retirement investment schemes.
Hundeyin said Collins Ogwuorie was identified as the leader of the group, alleging that he procured about 500 social media accounts from online vendors and distributed them to recruits for coordinated spamming, impersonation and engagement with unsuspecting victims.
He added that members of the network were assigned specific roles, including account management, online engagement and mass spamming, while the group also operated a fraudulent Facebook page titled ‘Retirement Strategies: Real Estate and Market Insights’, where fabricated testimonials were posted to lure victims.
Items recovered during the operation included 26 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards and one laptop, all suspected to have been used in carrying out the alleged crimes.
The police said investigations were ongoing, urging members of the public to exercise caution when engaging in online investment opportunities and to verify the credibility of platforms before committing funds.
Reacting to the arrests, Meta said it welcomed the collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and the UK National Crime Agency, noting that the operation demonstrated the value of cooperation between technology companies and law enforcement.
A representative of the UK National Crime Agency, Matt Mountain, also described the arrests as a product of sustained collaboration with Nigerian authorities, adding that the partnership was strengthened by the UK-Nigeria Fraud Memorandum of Understanding signed last year.