THE United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested 22 Nigerians allegedly involved in a financially driven sextortion scheme, which has been linked to over 20 teen suicides in the country since 2021.
In a statement obtained from its website, the agency revealed that the arrests were part of a groundbreaking global operation, codenamed Artemis, carried out in partnership with law enforcement agencies from Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom.
The FBI said it launched Operation Artemis nearly two years ago after receiving thousands of reports of teen boys being coerced into sharing sexually explicit photos online and then extorted with threats of exposure unless they paid.
“As a result of Operation Artemis, FBI investigations led to the arrest of 22 Nigerian subjects, with at least one arrest linked to an American victim who took their own life,” the FBI said.
It explained that the sextortion schemes involve minors, typically boys, who are befriended online by individuals posing as young women, persuading them to exchange nude photos.
“Once the victims comply, they are demanded to send money to prevent the images from being shared,” it said.
Investigators highlighted that even after victims make payments, the demands frequently continue, and the threats intensify.
According to the FBI, the analysis of victims’ phones and social media accounts revealed heartbreaking narratives of young kids enduring panicked negotiations in bids to maintain their privacy.
FBI Special Agent Matthew Crowley interviewed suspects in Lagos State to gain insight into why they opted for sextortion instead of other financial scams, such as romance fraud or business email compromise.
“One subject said, ‘It’s easy money. I can just move on to the next one if I don’t get any traction,” Crowley reported.
She added, “It makes sense why they would go that route because they could target 40 victims in a day, working multiple at a time. And maybe of those 40, three pay. But if three paid $200, that’s $600.”
She explained the devastating impact of these schemes, citing an American father whose 16-year-old son took his own life in 2023 after being targeted by sextortion threats.
In response, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Commander, Michael Wetkas, expressed hope that the collaborative effort would clamp down on all the people involved.
“We hope to get every single one of them. Because with the kind of collaboration that we have and the determination and commitment we have, I don’t see anything stopping us from getting these guys no matter where they are,” Wetkas said.
The ICIR reports that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported more than 34,000 sextortion victims in 2023, a number that surged to over 54,000 in 2024, with financial losses amounting to nearly $65 million over the past two years.
The Australian Federal Police reported an average of 300 new sextortion cases each month in Australia, according to the statement.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.