Former United States prosecutor Erin West has disclosed what she found out during her trip to Nigeria in search of suspected internet fraudsters known as ‘Yahoo boys’ involved in sextortion schemes targeting teenagers.
Speaking in a video shared online, West said her team travelled to Nigeria to trace individuals allegedly responsible for blackmailing young victims into sending explicit images before extorting them for money.
According to her, the investigation gained momentum after a phone number linked to one of the suspected scammers was analysed by a professor, who was able to connect it to bank accounts and uncover the identities and contact details of those involved.
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“We came all the way to Nigeria to find the people who blackmail teenagers,” she said. “A name finally became a place on a map. It was our last 12 hours, and we were determined to track down the scammer.”
West said her team visited the suspect’s residence but found no one at home. They later contacted the alleged scammer through a video call, during which she confronted him over accusations of sextorting a teenage boy.
“You were pretending to be a teenage girl. You got him to send explicit images, and then you blackmailed him,” she told the suspect.
The former prosecutor identified herself during the call and warned the individual that authorities had gathered extensive information about him.
“I met with the EFCC. I met with the Ministry of Justice. I know where you live, who you associate with, your phone numbers and your locations,” she said.
West accused the suspect of participating in criminal activities that have led to the deaths of teenagers
“The work you are doing is killing teenage boys. We know of at least 60 suicides linked to these crimes,” she said, adding that she believed the suspect would eventually face prosecution.
Despite the investigation, West disclosed that no arrests had been made after the evidence was handed over to Nigerian authorities.
“We turned over all the information we gathered to the authorities, but unfortunately, there have been no arrests yet. We believe our scammer is still out there, contributing to the scam economy,” she said.
Reflecting on the outcome of the mission, West stressed that arresting a single suspect would not be enough to dismantle the wider cybercrime network.
“So what do we do with all of this? I just told a scammer in no uncertain terms that he was going to jail. And maybe he will. But arresting one man in one town doesn’t stop a machine this size,” she said.
She argued that the sextortion economy is fuelled by systems and technologies largely based in the United States.
“This machine runs on American rails. It takes place on American apps—the very apps that our teenagers use every day. And the money movement? American dollars. It’s the payment apps, the gift cards, and the crypto that turn a threat into cash and ultimately ruin lives,” she said.
West said Nigerian officials she met maintained that increased arrests were necessary, but insisted law enforcement alone could not solve the crisis.
“The people I met told me the only thing that stops this is arrests. More arrests. And they’re right. But arrests only come after the damage is already done,” she said.
She called on technology companies to strengthen safety measures on their platforms, arguing that they are in the best position to prevent online sextortion before it begins.
“Companies are at the beginning. They are the ones who can stop this before it even starts. And so far, they haven’t,” she added.
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