The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of 22 Nigerians linked to a widespread sextortion scheme. According to the FBI, these scams have tragically resulted in the suicides of over 20 teenage boys in the United States since 2021. The arrests were made under Operation Artemis—a major international crackdown involving law enforcement from Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. The suspects were taken into custody after nearly two years of investigating sextortion rings targeting teen boys on social media. This was revealed in an official statement on the FBI’s website. The agency explained that the suspects posed as young women online to lure victims into sending sexually explicit images, which were later used to blackmail them for money under the threat of public exposure. “In many cases, even after payments were made, the threats continued—pushing some victims to tragic ends,” the statement added. Speaking on the development, Special Agent Karen R., who coordinated the Bureau’s involvement, said: “This is not a victimless crime. These are real children suffering real consequences.”