February 05, (THEWILL) — Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) have dismantled a cross-border online investment scam network in Agbor, Delta State, arresting seven suspects and recovering 26 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards and a laptop.
The suspects were identified as Collins Ogwuorie, Christian Ogwuorie, Gbenoba Emmanuel, Samuel Olufemi, Collins Victor, Onyeka Emenem and Kefas Ogunbor.
According to police investigations, the suspects operated a well-structured fraud syndicate that leveraged hundreds of fake social media accounts to impersonate reputable cryptocurrency traders. Victims were lured into fabricated online investment communities, where the suspects deployed phishing and spamming tactics to defraud targets, mainly in the United Kingdom and other countries.
The operation, carried out by the NPF-NCCC with support from the United Kingdom National Crime Agency and intelligence shared by Meta, led to the discovery of a physical scam hub.
Police said the centre served as a training ground where young Nigerians were recruited and assigned specialised online fraud roles to sustain the criminal enterprise.
Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, commended the National Cybercrime Centre for the successful operation, describing it as a significant step in the ongoing fight against cyber-enabled financial crimes.
The Police said investigations are ongoing to uncover additional collaborators and trace proceeds of the crime, while reiterating a warning to members of the public to always verify the authenticity of online investment platforms before committing funds.
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