Internet fraud visa restrictions are rising due to cybercrime, warns EFCC, urging Nigerian youths to pursue innovation instead of fraudulent shortcuts

Internet fraud visa restrictions are becoming a serious consequence of growing cybercrime among Nigerian youth, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Also read: EFCC Convicts Internet Fraudsters in Ogun Crackdown

The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, made this known through his representative, Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Coker Oyegunle, at a youth engagement forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The event was organised by the Coalition of Nigerian Youth on Security and Safety Affairs.

In a statement released by the commission on Tuesday, Olukoyede condemned the increasing trend of internet fraud, noting that it is not only destroying the future of perpetrators but also tarnishing Nigeria’s international image.

“Beyond the economic damage, these crimes erode Nigeria’s international image and subject innocent Nigerians to stricter visa restrictions abroad,” the EFCC stated.

He noted that cybercrime, money laundering, and economic sabotage are costing the country billions annually—funds that could otherwise be invested in infrastructure, job creation, and national development.

Olukoyede delivered a strong message to young people: “Fraud is not success; it is a trap. Easy come, easy go. Many who follow the path of ‘yahoo-yahoo’ always end up losing their freedom, reputation, and future.”

He warned that law enforcement agencies are intensifying efforts to track and prosecute offenders, stating that “digital footprints never disappear.”

The EFCC also reaffirmed its commitment to youth engagement through sensitisation, community collaboration, and stronger enforcement against internet fraud and related crimes.

In his remarks, a representative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mathew Ewah, highlighted drug abuse as another critical threat to Nigeria’s youth.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also issued a warning against pipeline vandalism in the South-South region.

The EFCC’s warnings come amid a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime.

In August, the commission arrested 38 suspected internet fraudsters at Mambillah Hotel in Ikorodu, Lagos, seizing vehicles, mobile phones, and suspected narcotics.

In another operation, the Benin Zonal Directorate secured the conviction of 12 fraudsters, including two brothers, for offences including possession of fraudulent documents and proceeds of crime.

The commission is urging young Nigerians to embrace positive alternatives such as digital innovation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and the creative industry.

Also read: EFCC Investigate Dapo Abiodun, Exposes Corruption

As visa restrictions continue to rise for innocent travellers, the EFCC’s message is clear: internet fraud may offer short-term gain, but it leads to long-term loss—for individuals and for the nation.