800 arrested over Nigerian crypto-romance scam

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has arrested 792 suspects in a major raid on a building allegedly used as a hub for international online fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, were detained on December 10 at the seven-storey Big Leaf Building in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.

According to EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, the luxury building operated as a call center targeting victims from the Americas and Europe. Fraudsters lured people through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, offering romance or fake investment opportunities, particularly in cryptocurrency.

Once trust was gained, victims were pressured to transfer funds into fraudulent schemes. Uwujaren said Nigerian accomplices initially contacted victims, while their foreign partners handled the defrauding process.

The EFCC seized computers, phones, and vehicles during the raid and is working with international partners to investigate possible links to organized crime.