FBI arrests 22 Nigerians in sextortion crackdown

FBI-led Operation Artemis resulted in 22 arrests in Nigeria for financially motivated sextortion targeting teens, linked to over 20 U.S. suicides since 2021.

The FBI, in coordination with law enforcement partners from Canada, Australia, and Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), conducted Operation Artemis—a first-of-its-kind international operation targeting financially motivated sextortion perpetrators. The operation resulted in 22 arrests of Nigerian subjects, with at least one arrest linked to an American victim who died by suicide. The investigation began nearly two years ago when the FBI's Child Exploitation Operational Unit analyzed thousands of reports of teens being targeted on social media platforms, revealing digital trails that led to Nigeria.

In financially motivated sextortion schemes, perpetrators—typically posing as attractive young women—befriend teenage boys online and persuade them to share sexually explicit photos. Once the images are obtained, victims are extorted for money under threat of exposure. Even when victims comply, demands typically escalate. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, sextortion reports increased from 34,000 victims in 2023 to over 54,000 in 2024, with nearly $65 million in losses over two years. More than 12,600 minors were targeted between October 2021 and March 2023 based on reports to the FBI, HSI, and NCMEC alone.

During the operation, FBI agents, analysts, and forensic examiners worked alongside investigators from the Australian Federal Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police from a command post in Lagos. The international collaboration was essential, as Nigerian authorities provided crucial local knowledge and arrest capabilities across the country of over 200 million people. Forensic examination of seized devices during arrests provided evidence that investigators used during subject interviews to build cases and connect suspects to victims. The operation aims to serve as a deterrent, demonstrating that international law enforcement will pursue and prosecute perpetrators regardless of geographic distance.

Source reporting: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-operation-in-nigeria-targeted-perpetrators-of-online-extortion-schemes-that-prey-on-teens