The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 192 foreign nationals for their alleged involvement in romance and cryptocurrency investment scams.
Naija News learnt that this operation is regarded as the largest crackdown of its kind in the commission’s history.
The suspects include 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Khazartans, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian.
They were apprehended in a surprise raid at a seven-storey building, known as the Big Leaf Building, situated at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to the EFCC, the arrests followed months of surveillance and actionable intelligence on the syndicate’s activities.
Investigations revealed that the suspects used the facility, which posed as a legitimate corporate office, to train Nigerian recruits on how to perpetrate romance and investment scams.
They also used the identities of Nigerians to carry out their fraudulent activities.
The building, equipped with high-end desktop computers, had several floors dedicated to illegal operations. On the fifth floor, investigators discovered 500 SIM cards from local telecom providers, allegedly purchased for fraudulent purposes.
Further findings revealed that the suspects recruited Nigerian accomplices to help target unsuspecting victims in countries like the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several European nations.
Using desktop computers and mobile devices, the Nigerian operatives created fake profiles to engage victims on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram.
The scammers posed as romantic partners or business professionals and lured victims to register on a fraudulent investment platform, www.yooto.com, where they were required to pay an activation fee starting at $35 to open an account.
