Nigerian cybercriminal kingpin James Aliyu arrested
South Africa: Nigerian cybercriminal kingpin James Aliyu arrested in Sandton
James Aliyu, a Nigerian man who is said to be the leader of cybercrime, was arrested in a luxury estate in Sandton on Wednesday. He is accused of stealing almost R196 million ($12m ) through romance scams and business email compromise fraud.
James Aliyuis, the Nigerian cybercrime kingpin, is well known in elite networks in South Africa as well as on Instagram because to the extravagant vacations he takes and the exorbitant amount of money he spends on luxury products for himself and his fiancée.
On his Instagram account, he has attracted 17,000 followers as a result of his brazen social media posts in which he brags about his money. Interpol agents arrested him at his house in a luxury Sandton estate, which put an end to his spending and five years of allegedly scamming people.
Sources say that the alleged scammer was caught after a multi-agency investigation that took almost six years and involved Interpol, the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Secret Service.
Aliyu has reportedly been in contact with a number of major convicted and suspected fraudsters from around the world, according to reports.
Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes C220d, and Mercedes-Benz G Class luxury SUV were allegedly purchased using the profits of fraud. His social media accounts also show him vacationing at luxurious destinations in the Caribbean, Dubai, and the United States.
Court procedures for the extradition of Aliyu are due to begin on Tuesday at the Randburg magistrate’s court.
