Nigeria’s National Cybercrime Centre has arrested nine suspects in three separate operations targeting alleged online investment fraud, romance scams, identity theft, sextortion and money laundering. The National Cybercrime Centre director, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Akaninyene Ezima, said the operations were carried out in Delta and Lagos states after intelligence sharing with the UK’s National Crime Agency, Canada’s RCMP and Germany’s BKA. In one operation, cryptocurrency assets worth $15,900 were recovered and secured in a custodial wallet. In Delta state, Ezima said four suspects, Ojei Divine, Godwin Umerin, Edema Bright and Peter Kpamichukwu Okoh, were arrested in Agbor and Okpanam over alleged online fraud targeting victims in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries. Police said the suspects allegedly used fake social media identities, fraudulent investment websites and cryptocurrency transactions. Divine was accused of impersonating investment traders and sending victims to websites offering purported foreign exchange, cryptocurrency and oil and gas investment opportunities. Police said analysis of a cryptocurrency wallet linked to Divine showed 21 approved transactions totalling $21,150, and that assets worth $15,900 were recovered. Umerin was accused of using multiple Facebook accounts to defraud an Indonesian citizen of seven million rupiah. Bright, a Delta State University student, was accused of sextortion and cryptocurrency fraud after police alleged he impersonated Galaxy Digital chief executive Michael Novogratz to persuade victims to invest in Bitcoin. Okoh, described as a 27-year-old website developer, was accused of developing six websites used by scammers. Police said the exhibits recovered from the suspects included 36 mobile devices and three routers. In a separate investigation involving the RCMP and Germany’s BKA, Ezima said police arrested Uka Chidiebere Gerald, 32, and Kenneth Ufuophu, 30, in Delta state over alleged romance fraud and money laundering involving elderly Canadians between 2020 and 2024. Police said the network created fake online identities, built romantic relationships with victims and solicited money under the guise of investments, loans and financial assistance. One victim allegedly transferred more than CA$200,000 after being deceived by a fraudster impersonating a US military physician. Police said Gerald was linked to a Binance wallet through which 1,684,441 USDT was laundered, while Ufuophu was linked to another case involving CA$214,000 in cryptocurrency and a CA$3,000 wire transfer. Police said funds were allegedly moved through suspected money mules and entities across several countries. Ezima said two mobile phones and two laptops were recovered, and that investigations continued to identify other suspects and trace the funds. Ezima also said centre operatives arrested Adebayo Adewale Basit, Omoregie Christian and Adebayo Ibrahim in Lekki, Lagos state, on October 14 over alleged identity theft, investment fraud and money laundering. Police alleged the men used fake social media accounts to impersonate prominent personalities and trick victims into transferring money. Basit was accused of using artificial intelligence voice cloning and deepfake technology to impersonate Tesla CEO Elon Musk across Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, X and other platforms, and investigators linked them to a cryptocurrency investment scam promoted through a website identified as Bitcoin Trading Hub. Items recovered included six mobile phones, an iPad, a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet, three internet routers, a webcam, a PlayStation 5 console and other electronic devices, plus jewellery and wristwatches.