Nigeria jails 15 Asians for internet scams

LAGOS: A Nigerian court jailed 15 Asians on Friday (May 30) for "cyber-terrorism and internet fraud", the national anti-graft agency said, one of the largest such cases in the country.
Eleven Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian were sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of one million naira (about US$630) each in the commercial capital, Lagos, after pleading guilty, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman Dele Oyewale.
They were accused of recruiting young Nigerians for "identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality".
"The judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria," Oyewale said.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is saddled with a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as "Yahoo Boys".
The EFCC has busted several hideouts where young criminals learn their scams.
Cybercrime experts also warn that foreign "cybercrime syndicates" have set up shop in the country to exploit its weak cybersecurity systems.
The EFCC said foreign gangs recruited Nigerian accomplices to find victims online through phishing scams, in which attackers typically try to deceive victims into transferring them money or revealing sensitive information such as passwords.
The scams target mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Europeans, the agency said.
In December, the EFCC arrested 792 suspects in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos.
At least 192 of the suspects were foreign nationals –148 of them Chinese, the agency said.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Straits Times

4 days ago

• Straits Times

Niger targets jihadist financing, kills 13 in illegal gold mine raids

NIAMEY - Niger's army has raided jihadist-controlled informal mining sites in the country's west, killing more than a dozen insurgents and seizing material linked to the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, it said. An army statement said the raids took place last week in the Tagueye locality, near Niger's western border with Burkina Faso. It said 13 insurgents were killed and one arrested. "Previously under the control of armed terrorist groups, these sites have been dismantled and systematically rendered inoperative," said the army statement released over the weekend. The raids "aimed at drying up the sources of financing for terrorist activities", it said. Like Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is battling an insurgency by jihadist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State that have killed thousands and taken control of villages in its western border and the south. The military-ruled government expelled French forces, turning instead to Russia to help fight the insurgents. Ryan Cummings, director of the Africa-focused intelligence firm Signal Risk, said the raids may have temporarily disrupted illicit gold mining, but cutting off insurgents' financing required stronger efforts. "The minute state forces depart areas and mining sites with militant presence, the same actors can return to these deposits and restart operations," Cummings said. The insurgency in Niger has further battered the economy in Niger, where around 4.5 million people, or 17% of the population, required aid in 2024, according to the United Nations. In May, eight staff of privately-owned Nguvu Mining, which operates the Samira Hill gold mine southwest of the capital Niamey, were killed when the military-escorted bus they were travelling in ran over an IED, a company executive told Reuters. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Independent Singapore

13-06-2025

• Independent Singapore

1,000 malicious IPs taken down in Singapore as Interpol cracks down on infostealer malware in landmark operation

Photo: Interpol SINGAPORE: In one of the most coordinated international cybercrime crackdowns to date, over 1,000 malicious IP addresses in Singapore were wiped from the internet. This comes as part of Operation Secure, a four-month investigation involving law enforcement from 26 countries, targeting a rising digital threat: infostealer malware. What's an infostealer? Think of it as a silent thief lurking inside your device — grabbing your browser passwords, credit card numbers, cookies, crypto wallet keys — and then selling them on the dark web to the highest bidder. These logs are the skeleton keys that cybercriminals use to unlock everything from ransomware deployments to full-blown identity theft and corporate espionage. Interpol's cyber clean-up Photo: Interpol Interpol announced on June 11 that the operation netted serious results: 20,000 IP addresses and domains taken offline 41 command servers seized Over 100 GB of criminal data extracted 32 cyber suspects arrested globally 216,000 victims alerted And among that, Singapore stood out, with 1,000+ local IPs neutralised thanks to joint work by the Singapore Police Force's Cybercrime Command and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA). Singapore responds Assistant Commissioner Paul Tay, head of the Cybercrime Command, noted: 'Our strong collaboration with local and international partners was key to dismantling these networks. We'll continue to work closely with CSA and others to protect Singaporeans and businesses — and we won't hold back against cybercriminals.' The CSA echoed this, pointing out that Singapore's digital economy boom has made cybersecurity more than just an IT issue — it's a national priority. Why you should care Unlike flashy ransomware that announces itself with ultimatums, infostealers hide in plain sight. You might never know your device was infected — until your accounts are drained, your company breached, or your data sold to someone halfway across the world. These tools often sneak in through phishing links, shady downloads, or browser plugins that seem harmless. And once in, they open the door to global-scale cyberattacks. That's why Operation Secure isn't just a cyber-police milestone — it's a global wake-up call. See also Labubu mania: Once a toy, now a $150,000 investment phenomenon The bigger picture As governments, hospitals, banks, and even homes become increasingly digitised, cybersecurity can't stay local. The threats don't respect borders, and now, finally, the response doesn't either. Operation Secure shows what's possible when agencies share intelligence, cross jurisdictions, and strike before the damage is done. It also makes this clear: Cybercrime is no longer a faceless digital nuisance — it's a threat to everyday lives, economies, and national security. And the world is watching how we respond.

CNA

11-06-2025

• CNA

Singapore authorities take down over 1,000 IP addresses linked to cybercrimes

SINGAPORE: Authorities in Singapore have taken down more than 1,000 internet protocol (IP) addresses based in the country and believed to have been linked to cybercrimes. Officers from the Cybercrime Command under the Criminal Investigation Department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) worked with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) to take down the IP addresses here. This was part of a recent four-month operation across 26 countries led by the global police organisation Interpol and named Operation Secure, the police said in a news release on Wednesday (Jun 11). The operation against cybercriminal infrastructure was conducted from January to April this year. Law enforcement agencies from the 26 countries worked together to locate physical servers which it believed to be perpetuating malicious software (malware) known as "infostealers". The operation involved mapping physical networks and executing targeted takedowns. The global effort led to the taking down of more than 20,000 malicious IP addresses and domains, the police said in its news release. The malware is "designed to secretly infiltrate computer systems and steal sensitive information". The stolen data is then sent to a remote server controlled by the cybercriminals, said the police. It added that the "takedown of the malicious IP addresses and domains linked to the infostealers", ceases the cybercriminal's control over compromised systems and effectively disrupts cross-border criminal syndicates. The police said that its active participation in the operation reinforces the force's commitment to safeguarding Singaporeans from increasingly sophisticated cybercrime. The strong engagement with Interpol also reinforces SPF's goal to be a global partner in fighting cybercrime, it said. "Such collaborations are essential to keeping Singapore safe and secure from threat actors operating under the anonymity of the internet." 'Our strong collaboration with key local and international partners in Operation Secure was a key success factor in dismantling these cybercriminal networks. "We will continue to work with CSA and other like-minded partners to protect Singaporeans and businesses from threats in cyberspace; and will spare no effort to disrupt cyber criminals and their operations," said Cybercrime Command Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Tay.