Seven men have been arrested in Nigeria following a coordinated operation between Meta, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), and the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre to dismantle an online fraud network targeting UK and US victims with cryptocurrency scams.
The arrests, which took place on 13 January in Agbor, Nigeria, resulted from intelligence sharing between the organisations that identified a suspected scam compound operating sophisticated investment fraud schemes.
The syndicate used hundreds of fake social media accounts impersonating cryptocurrency traders, along with fraudulent Facebook groups featuring fabricated testimonials and false positive reviews, to target individuals engaging with legitimate investment platforms. The compound was also allegedly recruiting and training young people in targeting victims for future investment frauds and phishing attacks.
Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre officers recovered 26 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards and one laptop during the raid. The NCA said it is not currently known how many UK victims were affected, given the potentially hundreds of fake Facebook accounts used in the operation.
Nick Sharp, Deputy director of fraud at the NCA, said: “These arrests were made possible thanks to our close partnership working with Meta and our law enforcement partners in Nigeria. This action marks a significant step in our collective fight against fraudsters operating overseas.”
Fraud Minister Lord Hanson emphasised the arrests proved “the power of united action when industry, law enforcement, and government join forces”, following the UK’s anti-fraud agreement with Nigeria.
Nathaniel Gleicher, Global Head of Counter Fraud for Meta, said the takedown demonstrated the real impact of cooperation. “Scams are driven by persistent criminals and sophisticated, organised crime syndicates constantly evolving their operations to evade detection,” he said.
In the first half of 2025, Meta took down 12 million accounts across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp associated with criminal scam centres.
