A Nigerian national, identified as Ikechukwu N., had been arrested by Argentine authorities after he allegedly led multiple online romance scams targeting thousands of women across several countries. The arrest was confirmed in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) by INTERPOL.
According to the international police network, Ikechukwu’s arrest marked Argentina’s first arrest of a fugitive under a Red Notice. The Nigerian has been simultaneously listed in the organisation’s Silver Notice database, a new project aimed at tracing and recovering criminal assets across the globe.
“The arrest was carried out by PFAOficial and seguridadpsa, with support from IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil. The Silver Notice pilot project, launched in January 2025, aims to help countries trace and recover criminal assets,” it said.
The operation was also part of Operation Jackal, an Interpol-coordinated initiative targeting West African organised crime groups. As per records, Ikechukwu was accused of orchestrating several romance scams involving thousands of women and leading an international cybercrime network.
INTERPOL added that the arrest was jointly carried out by the Argentine Federal Police and the Airport Security Police. It also gained assistance from the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), the Federal Intelligence Secretariat (FIS), and INTERPOL Brazil.
INTERPOL said further investigations into Ikechukwu’s activities are ongoing, with cooperation expected between Argentine authorities, Nigerian law enforcement, and other international partners involved in Operation Jackal.
However, details of the victims and total financial losses in the case remain undisclosed.
While tech continues to advance, romance scam tends towards pandemic. A report by Barclays revealed that during the first quarter of 2025, romance scams were up 20% year‑on‑year. Scammers now use advanced tactics, including generative AI and deepfakes, to enhance their operations, making it harder for victims to distinguish real relationships from fraudulent schemes.
As explained by the FBI, romance scams occur when a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
During the process, the scammer wants to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money.
A look at romance scams in Nigeria
Recent reports have indicated that romance scams have become one of the leading fraudulent activities in Nigeria. Scammers have orchestrated these scams via both crypto and online scams.
In December 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 792 suspects for their alleged crimes of cryptocurrency investment fraud and online romance scams. The suspects comprised 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kharzartans, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian, while the rest are Nigerians.
The operation, which is its largest raid yet, uncovered how foreigners trained their Nigerian accomplices on investment and romance scams while using the Nigerians’ identities as a cover‑up. The suspects also carefully selected their hideout and disguise as a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment.
Two months after the operation, the agency returned N78 million to American, Spanish, and Swiss victims of local fraudsters. The funds were part of the assets recovered by the EFCC in the “Eagle Flush Operation”. In addition to money, the commission also returned vehicles and real estate to citizens of Spain, the United States of America, and Switzerland.
As part of its move to curb fraud and redeem Nigeria’s image, the Senate is considering imposing sanctions. On Tuesday, lawmakers considered a bill seeking to amend the Passport Act to impose penalties on Nigerians convicted of crimes abroad, including the withdrawal of their international passports for a minimum of 10 years.
The bill, sponsored by Abubakar Bello (Niger North), aims to curb criminal activities by citizens in foreign countries. He explained that this had led to widespread profiling and visa denials against Nigerians.