Overview

• Four men in Côte d’Ivoire, including Alfred Kassi, were arrested for their roles in an international sextortion scheme that targeted thousands of victims across North America and Europe.
• The sextortion scheme led to the February 2022 suicide of 17-year-old Ryan Last from San Jose, California, after he was extorted online by someone posing as a young woman.
• Alfred Kassi, identified as the primary perpetrator, was arrested on April 29 and allegedly had the sextortion messages on his phone at the time of his arrest.
• Accomplices Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse admitted to their roles in the sextortion crimes, while Oumarou Ouedraogo was arrested for allegedly laundering money from the scheme.
• Due to Côte d’Ivoire's non-extradition policy, the suspects will be prosecuted under Ivorian cybercrime laws, with continued support from U.S. authorities and Meta.