Some 260 suspected cyber scammers have been arrested in a sting operation carried out across 14 African countries. The operation, coordinated by Interpol and funded by the UK, targeted criminal networks using social media and digital platforms to extract money from victims in romance scams, and in so-called sextortion, where victims are blackmailed using explicit imagery.
More than 1,400 victims across Ghana, Kenya, Angola, and elsewhere were identified, with Interpol estimating their losses at nearly $2.8 million (£2.1 million). The global police network said it was committed to disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online.
During the crackdown, which was carried out between July and August, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domains, and social media profiles linked to members of the scam syndicates. These leads and the subsequent arrests also resulted in the seizure of USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents, as well as the takedown of 81 cybercrime infrastructures across Africa, according to Interpol.
Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams, said Cyril Gout, the acting executive director of police services at Interpol. He added that the growth of online platforms had opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims causing both financial loss and psychological harm.
About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where authorities seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims during the operation. Investigators there recovered $70,000 from the estimated $450,000 in financial losses. Scammers in Ghana extracted payments using a range of schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees, and used secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats to blackmail individuals.
In Senegal, police arrested 22 suspects and uncovered a network that impersonated celebrities, using emotional manipulation on social media and dating platforms to defraud 120 victims of approximately $34,000. A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents, and money transfer records were seized during the operation in this region.
Another significant crackdown occurred in the Ivory Coast, where police arrested 24 suspects, seized 29 devices, and identified 809 victims. Scammers employed fake online profiles to blackmail victims, demanding payments to avoid public exposure. In Angola, eight suspects were apprehended, and authorities identified 28 domestic and international victims, primarily targeted through social media channels.
The operation also involved countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, underscoring a collaborative effort to combat rising cybercrime across the continent.
More than 1,400 victims across Ghana, Kenya, Angola, and elsewhere were identified, with Interpol estimating their losses at nearly $2.8 million (£2.1 million). The global police network said it was committed to disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online.
During the crackdown, which was carried out between July and August, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domains, and social media profiles linked to members of the scam syndicates. These leads and the subsequent arrests also resulted in the seizure of USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents, as well as the takedown of 81 cybercrime infrastructures across Africa, according to Interpol.
Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams, said Cyril Gout, the acting executive director of police services at Interpol. He added that the growth of online platforms had opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims causing both financial loss and psychological harm.
About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where authorities seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims during the operation. Investigators there recovered $70,000 from the estimated $450,000 in financial losses. Scammers in Ghana extracted payments using a range of schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees, and used secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats to blackmail individuals.
In Senegal, police arrested 22 suspects and uncovered a network that impersonated celebrities, using emotional manipulation on social media and dating platforms to defraud 120 victims of approximately $34,000. A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents, and money transfer records were seized during the operation in this region.
Another significant crackdown occurred in the Ivory Coast, where police arrested 24 suspects, seized 29 devices, and identified 809 victims. Scammers employed fake online profiles to blackmail victims, demanding payments to avoid public exposure. In Angola, eight suspects were apprehended, and authorities identified 28 domestic and international victims, primarily targeted through social media channels.
The operation also involved countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, underscoring a collaborative effort to combat rising cybercrime across the continent.
