Cape Town - A 40-year-old Nigerian has been arrested for defrauding thousands of people worldwide through online scams worth more than $60 million, Interpol and the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) said on Monday.
The man, identified by Interpol only as "Mike," is believed to be the leader of an international email scam targeting small to medium-sized businesses in countries including Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Romania, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.
In one instance, a victim was conned into paying out $15.4 million dollars, according to Interpol and the EFCC.
The suspect was arrested in southern Nigeria.
He is thought to head a network of at least 40 fraudsters across Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa, who provided malware and carried out the frauds, the agencies said.
He is also accused of laundering money in China, Europe and the US.
The 40-year-old faces charges including hacking, conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
DPA