Nigeria Won’t Guarantee Amnesty for Victims of Gay Dating App Scam
On Sunday, July 31, six men were arrested in Nigeria’s central state of Nasarawa after being caught extorting thousands of dollars from closeted gay men as part of an elaborate blackmail scheme.Police are asking any Nigerians who have been swindled by the scammers to come forward to help provide evidence of their alleged crimes.
The scam targeted eight men through a fake gay dating app, authorities explained. The six suspects are being accused of luring men on “dates,” arranging in-person meetings where they them beat their victims and steal from them.
They are accused of holding the men hostage and forcing them to give up their ATM code so they could steal money from their accounts. “Their bank account is then wiped out before they are let go,” police spokesperson Ramhan Nansel told BBC News.Police first became aware of the blackmail ring after an individual approached them and told them about another aspect of the scam.
According to that individual, he was enticed into sending nude or compromising photos of himself to one of the scammers, who threatened to release the photos unless he agreed to send the individual money.
