Nigerian confraternities and mass cross-border fraud

Nigeria is well-known for its significant problem with criminal actors who commit industrial-scale online fraud and related crimes, predominantly targeting foreign nationals and businesses. However, the structures and characteristics of those involved remain less understood. A key area of debate concerns the degree of organization among these perpetrators and their affiliation with organized crime groups. A specific focus of this debate is the involvement of confraternities, such as Black Axe, originating from Nigerian universities. This paper will seek to offer a deeper assessment of the growing role of confraternities in organised fraud and how they utilise networks of members, often based in Western countries, to perpetrate fraud and launder money. The study argues that while the full extent of their involvement is challenging to ascertain, there is mounting evidence that confraternities play a significant role in cross-border fraud and money laundering operations in Western nations.