Nigeria expels foreign citizens convicted of cryptocurrency romance scams

Nigeria has just expelled 102 foreign nationals convicted of crimes ranging from cyberterrorism to spear phishing, including 60 Chinese citizens and 39 Filipino citizens. According to the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), this group was arrested in December 2024 when authorities dismantled an operation base in Lagos, with over 700 suspects involved.

The above move is part of a strong effort to combat online spear phishing and the proliferation of fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. A typical example is the Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), which promised high returns but was actually a scam, causing many victims to lose all their money, even leading to suicides.

An EFCC spokesperson stated that there has been another round of expulsions prior and affirmed that subsequent rounds will take place. Nigeria is currently facing increasingly sophisticated "Yahoo" - online scams - targeting both victims domestically and internationally.