In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested four suspects linked to an alleged extortion and romance scam involving a Croatian national. The suspects, identified as Abodunrin Rasheed, Abodunrin Tunde, and Abodunrin Rokeeb, reportedly met the victim on a dating app, where they posed as a woman to initiate an intimate online relationship.
According to police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspects maintained their communications with the victim through Instagram and WhatsApp. During their interactions, they successfully deceived the Croatian national into sharing private pictures of himself. The suspects then conspired to extort him, threatening to share these images with his family and friends unless he paid a ransom.
The arrest followed a report submitted through the NPF’s National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) e-reporting portal, along with an intelligence tip-off from the center. Law enforcement officials recovered several key items during the operation, including six iPhones, one Tecno phone, one Samsung phone, and a Lexus car, all believed to be linked to the suspects’ cybercriminal activities.
Further investigations revealed that the suspects are part of a larger network involved in multiple similar scams worldwide, primarily targeting victims with extortion tactics using gift cards such as iTunes and Steam cards.
The NPF has confirmed that the suspects will be charged in court upon the completion of the ongoing investigation. This incident highlights the increasing prevalence of online scams and the importance of reporting suspicious activities to combat cybercrime effectively.
The NPF continues to encourage the public to be vigilant while engaging in online interactions and to report any suspicious behavior through their e-reporting portal.
