Cybercrime: FBI arrests nine suspects in Nigeria, seizes 53 electronic devices

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, has arrested nine suspects in Nigeria over alleged involvement in international cybercrime networks accused of defrauding victims, particularly Americans.

The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Blackout’, also led to the seizure of 53 electronic devices and the identification of $11 million in funds potentially eligible for freezing across multiple countries.

FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed the development in a statement shared on his official X account on Sunday.

According to Patel, the operation targeted criminal networks operating scam centers across international borders to defraud unsuspecting victims and steal their life savings.

“Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans,” he said.

“These scam centers exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. They’re wrong.”

The FBI director commended Nigerian law enforcement agencies and their partners in London for their cooperation in the operation.

He also warned individuals involved in cybercrime schemes targeting Americans from abroad that they would face prosecution.

The arrests formed part of a broader international crackdown on transnational scam networks operating in West Africa, involving law enforcement agencies and private-sector partners.

The United States Department of Justice disclosed that the wider enforcement exercise resulted in 28 arrests across Nigeria and Ghana, alongside the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices.

The operation also facilitated the removal of more than 3.7 million fraudulent online accounts, pages and groups allegedly linked to scam networks targeting victims across multiple countries.

The coordinated efforts were aimed at disrupting the digital infrastructure used by cybercriminals to carry out fraud and expand their operations across national borders.