The legal framework
The economic and financial crimes commission receives reports of fraud, including romance scams, and the police operate a national cybercrime centre. Banks must act on a fraud report to place a lien on a receiving account, which is the only realistic route to recovery and works only within a very short window.
Nigeria has two national channels: the financial crimes commission, which takes reports of fraud and has a dedicated cybercrime capability, and the police cybercrime centre. In practice the bank's fraud desk acts fastest, and a placement of restriction on the receiving account is the realistic route to recovery. The Bank Verification Number gives banks a means of identifying the account holder, which helps investigations when they proceed.
Key points
| Fastest lever | Blocking or freezing at the bank or wallet provider, within the hour |
|---|---|
| Criminal reporting | National cybercrime or commercial crime unit |
| Recovery window | Minutes to hours; almost nothing afterwards |
| Card payments | Chargeback where the scheme allows it, with a strict deadline |
| Cryptocurrency | Effectively unrecoverable |
| Evidence | Transaction references and message screenshots are decisive |
| Sextortion | Never pay; report and preserve the evidence |
In practice
- Call the bank or wallet provider before doing anything else — that call, not the police report, is what can stop the money.
- Report anyway even where recovery is impossible: the same accounts and numbers recur across victims.
- Export the conversation before blocking the profile, which usually disappears within hours.
- Never pay a blackmailer: a first payment identifies you as someone who pays.
Cost and coverage
Reporting channels are free.
Where to go
- Economic and financial crimes commission
- National police cybercrime centre
- Your bank, to request a lien on the receiving account
- Central bank consumer protection, for unresolved disputes
Worth knowing
Recovery is a race against a withdrawal, not against an investigation. Every minute spent deciding whether it was really a scam is a minute the money is still movable.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a fraudulent account restricted?
Report to your own bank's fraud desk with the transaction details and ask them to contact the receiving bank for a lien on the funds. Follow with a formal report to the financial crimes commission or the police cybercrime centre. Banks can act within hours; the formal route takes far longer.
How do romance scams usually work?
A months-long build-up of affection, always with a reason not to meet or to video-call, followed by a first emergency — a medical bill, a customs charge, a blocked transfer — and then an escalating series of them. The newer variant adds an investment platform that shows a rising balance you can never withdraw. The tell is not the story; it is that money must always move away from you, and quickly.
Official sources and links
- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission — report fraud, including romance scams
- Nigeria.gov.ng — official government portal