The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has apprehended a suspect accused of defrauding an American woman of $597,000 through an online romance scam.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Police spokesperson ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed that the suspect had assumed a false identity as an American citizen to deceive and exploit unsuspecting victims, primarily women.
According to Adejobi, the suspect was arrested following an intelligence-led operation and has reportedly confessed to defrauding an American national, Deborah Woods, of the stated sum.
During a search of the suspect’s residence, law enforcement officials recovered multiple electronic devices used in the fraudulent scheme.
Additionally, eight BMW vehicles, believed to be proceeds from the crime, were seized and placed in police custody as evidence. Authorities are currently working to identify other potential victims of the scam.
In a related development, Adejobi disclosed that police operatives had also arrested two individuals involved in creating and distributing compromised financial accounts, which facilitated fraudulent transactions amounting to over ₦400 million.
Investigations revealed that the suspects were recruited via Telegram by an unidentified foreign cybercriminal. Their primary role was to generate financial profiles using pre-registered SIM cards and email addresses, which were then distributed across various states for Know Your Customer (KYC) verification.
One of the suspects was specifically tasked with collecting KYC details and fraudulently obtaining Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) from individuals.
These details were then used to upgrade the compromised accounts to Tier 5 verification status.
Adejobi further noted that, in January alone, the Nigeria Police Force arrested a total of 84 individuals for cyber-related crimes.
This included 32 suspects apprehended by the NPF-NCCC and 52 arrested by the Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos.
He credited these achievements to the proactive strategies of Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, aimed at curbing cybercrime and restoring Nigeria’s global reputation.
 has apprehended a suspect accused of defrauding an American){kind=link}