Nine persons have been arrested, the sum of $11 million recovered while 53 electronic devices were seized as operatives of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) carried out what it described as ‘Operation Blackout’ in Nigeria.
The FBI, which said it carried out the operation with the support of the Nigerian government, did not however name the countries of origin of those arrested as there were indications that citizens of some countries including China and Philippines perpetrate criminal activities in Nigeria targetting stealing of money from accounts belonging to Americans.
According to the FBI, the Operation Blackout took the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans.
“Our latest operation in Nigeria delivered nine arrests, 53 electronic devices seized. $11 million in potentially freezable funds identified across multiple countries,” the FBI said in a statement on its website on Sunday night.
It added that these scam exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement.
“Thanks to Nigerian law enforcement and our partners in London for their outstanding cooperation. To the criminals targeting Americans from overseas, justice will find you,” it added.
