The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has
arrested 22 Nigerians for allegedly being connected to financially motivated s3xtort!on
schemes that have led to a rise in suicides among American teenagers.
In a statement released on its official website, the FBI
said the suspects were arrested during a first-of-its-kind global operation in
collaboration with law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, Canada, Australia,
and the United Kingdom (UK).
Out of the 22 suspects arrested, the FBI said,
“approximately half were directly linked to victims who took their own lives”.
The US agency said it has observed a 30 percent increase in s3xtort!on-related
tips between October 2024 and March 2025 compared to the previous year.
“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or
IC3, there were over 54,000 victims in 2024, up from 34,000 in 2023,” the
statement reads.
“Over the last two years, there have been nearly $65 million
in financial losses due to this crime.
“Most of the victims are boys aged 14 to 17, and more than
20 minor victims have died by suicide.
“Given the alarming rise and similarities of these cases,
the FBI opened investigations across the country with the goal of bringing
answers and closure to grieving American families.
“Information gathered by the FBI’s Child Exploitation
Operational Unit (CEOU) allowed the FBI to work collaboratively with all 55 of
our field offices to identify nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated s3xtort!on.
“It was during these investigative steps that the
commonality of perpetrators residing in Nigeria began to grow and paint a
larger, more international scope of this crime.”
According to the FBI, the Nigerian suspects arrested during
the operation codenamed “Operation Artemis” allegedly posed as young women on
social media, building trust with teenage boys before coercing them into
sharing explicit content.
The agency said the perpetrators would then demand payment
via gift cards, mobile payments, or cryptocurrency while threatening to make
public the content, adding that in many cases, the harassment continued even
after money was paid, leaving victims ashamed and hopeless.
“As a result of Operation Artemis, a Nigerian man was extradited
to the U.S. in January and charged with causing the death of a South Carolina
teenager who took his own life after being extorted by the suspect posing as a
woman,” the FBI said.
“Additionally, two men were extradited from Nigeria to the
United States last year to face charges related to the s3xtort!on and death of
a young man in Pennsylvania. These subjects will now be held accountable in the
American justice system, with more subjects still awaiting extradition in
Nigeria.”
Kash Patel, FBI director, said, “Operation Artemis
exemplifies the FBI’s never-ending mission to protect our most vulnerable and
to pursue the heinous criminals harming our children—no matter where they
hide.”
“This operation highlights the critical need for international
cooperation to address this growing threat, and it’s a fight we can’t take on
without our valued partners across the globe.
“We hope this message encourages parents and guardians to
continue to educate their children about online safety and serves as a reminder
of the FBI’s relentless pursuit of keeping our children safe.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com