The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have arrested no fewer than 34 Nigerians for allegedly defrauding businesses and American citizens of several millions of dollars.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the FBI said the fraudulent activities were coordinated through Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes that were designed to intercept and hijack wire transfers from businesses and individuals, including many of its senior citizens.

It added that a counter effort, ‘Operation Wire Wire’, a coordinated law enforcement effort by the US Department of Justice, US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of the Treasury and the US Postal Inspection Service was conducted over a six month period.

“The operation culminated in over two weeks of intensified law enforcement activity resulting in 74 arrests in the United States and overseas, including 29 in Nigeria, and three in Canada, Mauritius and Poland.

“The operation also resulted in the seizure of nearly $2.4 million, and the disruption and recovery of approximately $14 million in fraudulent wire transfers,” the statement from the FBI added.