US prosecutor Erin West and cybersecurity researcher Paul Raffile have travelled to Nigeria to investigate sextortion networks accused of targeting American teenagers, following the digital trail from a fake teenage profile to suspected scammers near Lagos. Their investigation, released in a documentary on July 29, also explored the controversial “Yahoo Plus” ritual practices associated with some fraudsters.
The investigators said the operation exposed how scammers can build trust with young victims before threatening to release intimate images. Sextortion has become a serious transnational threat, with previous research linking Nigerian cybercrime networks to a wave of cases involving teenage victims and suicides.
The investigation has also reignited debate in Nigeria over cybercrime, economic pressures, the international image of “Yahoo Boys” and the need for stronger enforcement against online exploitation. Research published in 2026 has separately documented “Yahoo Plus” as a form of cybercrime associated with alleged ritual practices.
