Nigeria Police uncover 12.5 million victims’ email logs across 50 countries as investigators trace cybercrime proceeds and financial networks.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) said more than 12.5 million victims’ email logs had been recovered, with victims identified across more than 50 countries.
The Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Akaninyene Ezima, made this revelation during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the cyber fraud was uncovered during a business email compromise investigation.
“The Business Email Compromise investigation also established that the suspect had generated in excess of N100 million from the criminal operation,” he revealed.
AIG Ezima stressed that, in an international investment fraud and money-laundering investigation, more than N3.6 billion in suspected criminal proceeds was traced through a cryptocurrency conversion scheme.
“Similarly, the sextortion and romance scam investigation revealed multiple victims associated with the same criminal identity.
“These operations demonstrate the growing technical capability of the NPF-NCCC in the areas of digital forensics, open-source intelligence, network analysis, financial investigation and cryptocurrency tracing.
“They also demonstrate the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational cybercrime.
“The successful collaboration under the Budapest Convention framework underscores Nigeria’s commitment to international cooperation and information sharing in the fight against cybercrime. The identification of Kestart Technology as a terminal off-ramp for suspected criminal proceeds further demonstrates the Centre’s increasing focus on the financial infrastructure that sustains cybercrime.”
The objective of the Centre, he said, was not only to arrest cybercriminals but also to identify, trace and disrupt the financial channels through which criminal proceeds are moved and concealed.
He said the arrest of individuals involved in the trading of pre-registered SIM cards also demonstrated the Centre’s commitment to dismantling the infrastructure that facilitates identity theft, impersonation and other forms of cyber-enabled crime.
Warning cybercriminals, the Director said: “Let me use this opportunity to issue a clear warning to individuals and criminal networks engaged in cybercrime. The long arm of the law will catch up with you. The sophistication of your tools, the use of encrypted platforms, cryptocurrency or false identities will not guarantee your safety. The NPF-NCCC is strengthening its investigative capabilities, expanding partnerships with international law enforcement agencies and deploying advanced technical tools to identify, trace, arrest and prosecute persons involved in cybercrime.
“No matter how sophisticated your methods may appear, and no matter how well you believe you have concealed your tracks, we will find you. The operations being presented today are evidence of this commitment.”