Japanese and Nigerian police have dismantled a fraud syndicate involved in social media investment and romance scams that defrauded victims in Japan, Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) announced on February 18.
As part of the operation, Nigerian authorities arrested 11 Nigerian nationals whose bank accounts were used to receive funds from victims, while Japanese police apprehended nine Japanese individuals for their role in converting the stolen money into cryptocurrency.
This marks the first time that suspects outside Japan have been arrested based on information provided by Japanese authorities in a domestic fraud case.
The NPA suspects that a Nigeria-based syndicate is behind the scams and may be targeting victims in Japan and other countries.
Authorities are now working with international partners to track down the masterminds.
According to the NPA, 14 Japanese victims, aged between their 30s and 80s, lost a total of 150 million yen ($986,000) between 2022 and 2023.
The fraudsters posed as astronauts, military personnel, and doctors on social media, tricking victims into making financial investments or offering financial assistance.
In romance scams, victims were led to believe they were in a real relationship and were convinced to send money for their supposed partner’s relocation to Japan for marriage.
International Investigation Uncovers Cryptocurrency Trail
As part of their investigation, Japanese authorities traced the victims’ funds and discovered that the money had been converted into cryptocurrency before being deposited into accounts held by Nigerian nationals through overseas exchanges.
This information led to the arrest of 11 individuals in Nigeria, who reportedly used the stolen money to invest in real estate.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, police in five Japanese prefectures—including Gifu and Nagasaki—arrested nine Japanese suspects, aged between their 30s and 70s, between 2022 and 2024.
These individuals allegedly followed instructions from scam organizers, some believed to be based in Nigeria, and converted the stolen funds into cryptocurrency. In return, they received a 5% commission on the transactions.
The crackdown, known as “Operation Jackal,” was coordinated by Interpol and involved 21 nations, including Japan, the United States, and several European and Asian countries.
Surge in Social Media Scams in Japan
Investment and romance scams on social media have significantly increased in Japan. In 2024 alone, authorities recorded 10,164 cases—2.6 times more than the previous year—resulting in losses amounting to 126.8 billion yen, nearly triple the previous year’s figures.
Romance scams, particularly those involving dating apps, have been on the rise, with criminals increasingly targeting vulnerable individuals.
Authorities in both Japan and Nigeria have pledged to intensify efforts to dismantle international fraud networks and protect victims from cyber scams.
