Alleged sextortion scams: FBI arrests 22 Nigerians

In a sweeping international operation targeting a surge in online sexual extortion scams, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of 22 Nigerian nationals accused of orchestrating a series of sextortion schemes that have led to the suicides of more than 20 teenage boys in the United States since 2021.

The arrests were the result of Operation Artemis, a landmark collaborative effort involving law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

The suspects were apprehended after a nearly two-year investigation into online sextortion rackets preying on teenage boys across social media platforms.

According to a statement published on its website, FBI noted that perpetrators posed as young women online, luring victims into sharing sexually explicit images.

Once obtained, the images were used to extort money from the victims under threat of public exposure.

In many cases, even after payments were made, the threats continued—pushing some victims to tragic ends.