)
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested 22 Nigerians connected to a global sextortion scheme that has been linked to several teenage suicides across the United States.
The arrests were part of Operation Artemis, a joint crackdown led by the FBI in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. The operation responded to a disturbing surge in sextortion cases targeting young boys.
According to the FBI, “approximately half of the arrested individuals were directly linked to victims who took their own lives.” The bureau described Operation Artemis as “a surge of resources and personnel to Nigeria” to fight the growing threat.
Data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre revealed over 54 thousand sextortion victims in 2024, up from 34 thousand the previous year, with nearly 65 million dollars lost to the crime.
)
)
)
ALSO READ: EFCC hands over $22k seized from Lagos fraudster to FBI for transfer to owner
The suspects allegedly posed as young women on social media to lure boys aged between 14 and 17. After gaining trust, they coerced victims into sending compromising images, which were later used for blackmail. “The perpetrators continued to harass victims even after payment was made,” the FBI said.
Operation Artemis also led to the extradition of a Nigerian man to the United States earlier this year over the death of a South Carolina teenager. Two other Nigerians were previously extradited in a similar case involving a Pennsylvania youth.
The FBI noted the key support of its Legal Attaché offices in Abuja and Lagos, as well as the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in the arrests.
In its advisory, the FBI urged parents to “have open conversations with their children about online safety” and reassured victims that “they are not alone and are not at fault.”
“An indictment is merely an allegation,” the FBI added, reminding the public that all defendants remain innocent until proven guilty.