The Nigeria Police Force has arrested suspected internet fraudsters linked to cyberattacks targeting Microsoft 365 email systems used by major corporate, financial and educational institutions, police said Thursday.
The arrests were carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF–NCCC) following intelligence provided by Microsoft Corporation in the United States through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Police said the suspects were involved in sophisticated phishing operations using a toolkit known as RaccoonO365, which created fake Microsoft login pages designed to steal user credentials and gain unauthorised access to corporate email accounts.
According to the police, investigations revealed multiple cases of unauthorised access to Microsoft 365 accounts between January and September 2025. The attacks, which relied on phishing emails closely resembling legitimate Microsoft authentication messages, resulted in business email compromise, data breaches and financial losses across several countries.
The NPF–NCCC said it launched a coordinated, intelligence-led operation in collaboration with Microsoft, the FBI and the United States Secret Service. Operatives were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, where three suspects were arrested.
Searches conducted at the suspects’ residences led to the recovery of laptops, mobile phones and other digital devices. Police said forensic analysis linked the devices to the cyber fraud operation.
Further investigations identified Okitipi Samuel, also known as “RaccoonO365” and “Moses Felix,” as the principal suspect and alleged developer of the phishing infrastructure. Police said he operated a Telegram channel where phishing links were sold in exchange for cryptocurrency and hosted fake Microsoft login portals using Cloudflare, relying on stolen or fraudulently obtained email credentials.
Investigators, however, said there was no evidence connecting the two other arrested suspects to the development or management of the phishing toolkit.
The Nigeria Police Force said it remains committed to protecting the country’s digital environment through advanced technology, stronger international partnerships and rigorous investigation and prosecution of cybercrime.
The statement was signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin.
