Nigerian fintech boss Linus Williams confirms police arrested a young scammer who stole millions online
On August 21, 2026, Nigerian cryptocurrency entrepreneur Linus Williams, known as BLord, announced the arrest of a TikTok impersonator. The suspect scammed over 100 victims out of millions of Naira using fake PalmPay and OPay accounts. Police detained the fraudster after he confessed to the crimes.
ValidUpdates understands that a massive online scam operation recently hit a dead end. Nigerian police arrested a young man for using a fake online profile to steal money.
The fraudster impersonated Linus Williams, the CEO of BLord Group. The suspect built a huge following on TikTok. He tricked innocent people into sending him funds for three years.
Speaking outside a court building, the tech boss explained the start of the case.
”In respect of a matter that was brought to the court of a young man that…” the crypto boss started.
He then fully explained how the scammer stole his identity to fool the public. The suspect gained ten times more followers than the real company account.
”My name is Linus Williams, alias BLord. I’m in a magistrate court of Amawbia, right? Uh, in respect of a matter that was brought to the court, of a young man that has been using my videos, my pictures to defraud the public for the past three years. He has been notorious on TikTok. Because I’m not a TikTok person, he has about 11.2 million likes on TikTok with 870,000 or thereabouts followers on TikTok. Meanwhile, my original TikTok has just 150,000 followers, with 1.5 million likes. But this young man has 11.6 million… that is times 10 of my profile. And people take his profile as the real BLord profile. And they’ve been transacting with him, you know, he has defrauded a… more than a hundred people, millions of Naira,” the businessman stated.
The Suspect Confesses
The suspect eventually admitted to the serious crimes at the police station. His family pleaded for a quick settlement outside the courts.
”Many of them came to the station to write their statements. And the guy… the one thing… the guy has confessed and agreed to the crime. And the family has been begging for us to know how to settle it out. But mine is, this boy is a young boy, it’s a young boy and we came to court today but the court didn’t sit. And they’re going to take the guy back to CID where he was remanded,” Williams noted.
The tech founder originally wrote a petition to prompt the police action. Officers moved fast and invited him to inspect the suspect. Investigators found direct proof on the mobile device of the fraudster.
”Because when the thing happened, I wrote a petition to the Nigerian police and Nigerian police swung into action, got him arrested, and they invited me over to come and see. And the guy, we went through his phone, and all the videos on his phone were my videos. His profile is… the number he has used to defraud them, once you call the number, his phone is ringing. He created an account number bearing Linus Williams Ifejika on PalmPay and OPay to defraud people, collect money, millions. $1,000, $3,000, 5 million. There are different scenarios,” the CEO revealed.
Victims previously blamed the real company for the massive financial losses. Scammed individuals visited physical branches to demand their stolen money back.
”And people believe that I was the one that defrauded them. And at the end of the day, this guy still… when he defrauded the victims, he’ll tell them to come to the office because we have nine different branches. So the victims will come to the office, we’ll tell them it’s not… it’s not my profile. So I thank the Nigerian police. I thank the Commissioner of Police for a job well done. I’m happy that the truth has finally prevailed, and I’m free,” the entrepreneur added.
Verifying The Real Accounts
A reporter then asked a vital question about public safety. The journalist wanted tips to help followers spot the real accounts. He urged the CEO to share a guide.
”What advice do you have for the general public or your followers, because he may not be the only one?” the interviewer asked.
”Yeah,” Williams agreed.
The reporter then completed his thought for clarity. He wanted clear steps to protect the vulnerable fans.
”What advice do you have for them so that when they encounter such things they should verify from you, you know the…” the interviewer continued.
The fintech leader listed his exact verified social media pages. He also pointed victims to his physical branch locations. He promised to verify his TikTok profile soon.
”You know, the BLord Group, I am on Instagram. I have a verified Instagram, I have a verified Facebook, but I’m not verified on TikTok. So… but I’m working towards verifying myself on TikTok. So for you to get a legitimate BLord, make sure that the profile is verified. All my profile on Instagram and Facebook is verified. And also if you feel doubted, we have office in nine major cities, one should be close to you. You can come to the office and do your transactions,” the chairman explained.
A Warning To Other Scammers
The reporter quickly followed up to ask about the ongoing legal process. The public wanted to know the final fate of the suspect.
”How do you intend to, you know, to go about this case?” the interviewer questioned.
The businessman showed a bit of mercy toward the young boy. He promised to review the situation carefully. The early confession played a big role in his decision.
”Since it is now a case in the… in the court, it’s a… we are going to look at it. It’s a small boy. I’m going to see how we can help him. At least he has been confessing. He has confessed, he has agreed to the crime. And I will see what, how we can help him. Thank you, sir,” the investor replied.
The journalist asked one final question before ending the recording. He asked for a strong message to deter future impersonators.
”Sir please what other messages do you have for persons that are impersonating you?” the interviewer probed.
The tech executive warned other criminals that they face hard jail time. He advised them to find honest work before the police catch them. He stated that impersonation carries a heavy jail term.
”For those that are impersonating me, keep up the good job, we will catch you one day. It just takes a moment, it’s just… your days are numbered. If this does not teach you a lesson to stop whatever you’re doing, not even only impersonating me, impersonating other people. You should stop impersonating other people. It’s a big crime. Look at this man now, he can go to jail for five years, ten years. So if you know you are impersonating me, this should be a sign for you to stop impersonating BLord. Take down that profile, and look for something doing. Alright? Thank you and God bless you,” the founder declared.
The media professional wrapped up the session respectfully. He thanked the tech boss for the clear answers.
”Thank you very much, sir,” the reporter concluded.
