Screenshot from YouTube video, ‘EFCC ARRESTS 792 INCLUDING FOREIGNERS, FOR CRYPTO, ROMANCE SCAMS‘ by ADBN TV, Fair use.
In recent years, Nigeria has gained notoriety as a global hub for internet fraud, a subset of cybercrime popularly known by the slang “yahoo yahoo”, with fraudulent activities ranging from sextortion, email or romance scams to sophisticated hacking operations. In 2024, the West African nation ranked fifth in the first-ever World Cybercrime Index on global cybercrime hotspots, coming behind Russia, which ranked number one, and Ukraine, China, and the United States, which occupied the second, third, and fourth positions respectively. A disturbing development in this trend is the emergence of “cybercrime schools” — informal training hubs where individuals, often children and young adults, are taught how to defraud others online.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimated that the country loses approximately USD 500 million annually to online fraud. The proliferation of internet fraud has become a major concern, as it not only impacts victims financially and psychologically but also tarnishes the country's reputation internationally.
What are cybercrime schools?
Cybercrime schools are underground operations where instructors teach aspiring fraudsters the skills needed to commit online crimes. They are commonly referred to as “HK”, which means “Hustle Kingdom” or “419 training schools”. In Nigeria, 419 refers to Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which criminalizes fraud and related offences. Over time, the term “419” has become synonymous with scams and fraudulent activities. Students enrolled in such fraud academies, often referred to as “Yahoo boys”, are coached on how to manipulate victims.
In a massive raid on December 10, 2024, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 792 suspects allegedly involved in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams. Among those apprehended were 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kazakhstanis, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. The raid occurred in a seven-story building located in the highbrow area of Victoria Island, Lagos, where these foreign nationals reportedly trained their Nigerian accomplices on how to initiate romance and investment scams. They also used the identities of their Nigerian accomplices to perpetrate online fraud.
Barely a month later, another syndicate of Chinese fraudsters (who usually recruit local tech-savvy Nigerians) specializing in hotel review job scams, targeting mostly European victims, were arrested in Nigeria's capital city, Abuja.
The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that there are minors in primary schools (elementary school) who are enrolled in cybercrime schools across the country with the consent of their parents.
“We have what we call the 419 training schools where they harvest our children from primary school. When they leave their regular studies, they close at 2 o’clock; they end up in some of these 419 training schools. They start indoctrinating them. They first of all ask them, even their parents, to sign an undertaking.”
The mindset and appeal of internet fraud
A social media search of the sentence “Yahoo is not a crime” on X reveals several posts like this and this by Nigerian users who strongly believe that internet fraud is not even a crime. One user on X noted:
Yahoo Yahoo (internet fraud), is really an eye opener on some issues concerning our society, regardless of how bad it is, I can say there's a lot faux, lies that it uncovered, one of them will be about relationship.
— sultan of Kaduna 🐊 (@sultanofvybezz) February 9, 2023
While some Nigerians consider internet fraud merely a “hustle”, others claim it is a means of retrieving what colonial masters took from Africa or some form of revenge against slavery. A viral video shows a lady who praised her 12-year-old brother for successfully scamming his first victim. A viral comedy skit satires a Yahoo boy's conversation with a potential romance scam victim (referred to as a client). Several other factors that contribute to the rise of internet fraud include the pervasive get-rich-quick mentality as well as the appeal and glamorization of fraudulent success. Pop culture and social media have amplified a narrative that all Yahoo boys live in luxury, as both are rife with images of the scammers flaunting luxury cars, expensive clothes, and extravagant lifestyles.
Unemployment and poverty are also contributing factors. With limited job opportunities, online fraud appears to offer a faster route to wealth compared to legitimate employment. The absence of adequate digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness in schools leaves young people vulnerable to being lured into these criminal activities.
The fight against cybercrime
Although the Nigerian government has taken steps to combat cybercrime through the Cybercrime Act of 2015 — which criminalizes offences like identity theft, online fraud, and hacking, it has been criticized for having insufficient penalties.
Many social media users criticize the government's response to these crimes, arguing that the relatively short jail term and small fines for convicted internet fraudsters aren't enough of a deterrent.
EFCC is being mischievous with these headlines.
Dude stole $345,000 and was given 2 years jail term with option of a meager fine of N2m [USD 1,324]. Which I’m sure he’s paid by now.
Shameful. And this is why fraud won’t end here. https://t.co/IicnUjTpoQ
— Pete (@Prymefactor) January 9, 2025
While Nigeria collaborates with international law enforcement agencies to tackle internet fraud and apprehend suspects based in Nigeria, agencies such as the EFCC and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are tasked with enforcement, conducting raids, arrests, and awareness campaigns.
The director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC), CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, said 751 arrests were made and significant assets were recovered in 2024. However, he emphasized the need for advanced forensic tools and stronger collaboration with technology firms to address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Nigerian cybersecurity specialist Chidiebere Divinewill Ihediwa suggested “redirecting the knowledge of the Yahoo boys”. He advised the EFCC to devise a method of re-orientating the educated e-fraudsters arrested by the agency towards becoming information technology specialists rather than allow them to rot away.
