Interpol Flags Nigeria as Major Cybercrime Hub in 2025 Digital Security Report

Interpol Flags Nigeria as Major Cybercrime Hub in 2025 Digital Security Report

Nigeria has emerged as a leading hotspot for online fraud in Africa, with cybercrime networks leveraging advanced digital technologies to conduct large-scale scams, according to Interpol’s 2025 report on global cyber threats.

The report, released on Monday, revealed that West Africa accounts for more than 30% of all reported cybercrimes on the continent, with Nigeria identified as the primary epicenter alongside Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin. Interpol described the surge as a significant threat to global digital security, urging immediate action to close technology and enforcement gaps.

“This phenomenon ranks among the most serious threats to global cybersecurity,” Interpol noted in its findings, warning that the operational scale and sophistication of online scams have reached unprecedented levels.

Cybercriminals, popularly known as “Yahoo Boys,” employ a combination of social engineering, phishing tools, and encrypted messaging platforms to execute diverse fraud schemes. Among the most prevalent are romance scams, which generate billions in losses globally, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks, where hackers infiltrate corporate email systems to divert high-value transactions.

The report also highlighted a surge in digital sextortion, where explicit images are used to blackmail victims. Meta removed over 70,000 fraudulent Nigerian accounts in 2024 alone for such activities. Online gambling scams are also rising, with fraudsters creating fake casinos or manipulating betting platforms to exploit the booming e-gaming industry.

Interpol’s analysis of 50 prosecuted cases shows that cybercriminals increasingly rely on social media platforms like Facebook, use iPhones as their preferred device (59%), and often assume false identities such as U.S. military personnel.

Nigeria’s growing role in cybercrime has implications beyond law enforcement, affecting financial markets and investor confidence. According to Emomotimi Agama, Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, these crimes erode the integrity of the national capital market and pose a barrier to economic modernization.

High-profile cases underscore the scale of the problem: a Nigerian-led scheme defrauded $19.6 million, while a recent Flutterwave attack cost $7 million.

Interpol identified systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s cybersecurity framework, citing a lack of threat intelligence databases, digital evidence repositories, and incident reporting systems. Only 30% of African countries maintain structured reporting, while cross-border cooperation remains weak despite 86% of nations acknowledging its necessity.

Despite these challenges, progress is being made. Operation Serengeti, involving 19 African countries, dismantled 134,000 criminal online infrastructures, disrupted schemes worth $193 million, and led to over 1,000 arrests. Operation Red Card targeted loan scam networks, combining private-sector intelligence with law enforcement for better results.

On the regulatory front, Nigeria has introduced reforms such as the Investment and Securities Act 2024, mandating strict security standards for cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset brokers, and updates to the Cybercrimes Act, expanding the scope of offenses and penalties to match international norms.

Interpol, however, stressed that without investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, including AI-driven fraud detection, secure identity verification systems, and real-time monitoring technologies, the fight against online scams will remain an uphill battle.