LAGOS, Dec. 16 – Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency arrested 792 people in a raid on December 10 at a building in Lagos suspected to be a base for an international crypto-romance scam operation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the suspects include 148 Chinese nationals and 40 Filipinos. The raid targeted the seven-story Big Leaf Building in Lagos, where fraudsters allegedly ran a call center focused on luring victims from the Americas and Europe.
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren said the scammers used social media and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram to contact victims. They would initiate fake romantic relationships or offer fraudulent investment opportunities in cryptocurrency, persuading victims to transfer funds.
“Nigerian accomplices were recruited by foreign masterminds to locate and engage victims. Once trust was gained, the foreign operators handled the defrauding,” Uwujaren said.
Agents seized computers, phones, and vehicles during the raid. Uwujaren added that investigations are ongoing with international partners to uncover possible ties to organized crime.
