African Law Enforcement Nets 651 Arrests in International Cybercrime Crackdown
The eight-week operation uncovered scams linked to more than USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, primarily from Africa, but also from other regions worldwide.
Law enforcement agencies across 16 African countries have successfully made 651 arrests and recovered over USD 4.3 million in an international operation targeting online scams. Operation Red Card 2.0, conducted from 8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026, focused on high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications.
The eight-week operation uncovered scams linked to more than USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, primarily from Africa, but also from other regions worldwide. Authorities seized 2,341 devices, dismantled 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers, and disrupted other related infrastructure. INTERPOL supported the operation by sharing critical intelligence, facilitating real-time information exchange, and providing capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools.
In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement targeted mobile loan fraud, seizing 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops, and over 300 SIM cards. Scammers had targeted vulnerable populations through deceptive mobile applications and messaging platforms, offering quick, unsecured loans only to impose abusive fees and harvest sensitive data.
Kenyan authorities arrested 27 individuals linked to fraudulent investment schemes. Scammers in Kenya used messaging apps and social media to lure victims into fake investments, often presenting fabricated account statements and blocking withdrawal requests. Victims were misled into investing as little as USD 50, promised high returns on paper.
In Nigeria, law enforcement dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that used phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and fake digital asset schemes. Investigators uncovered a residential property built by the syndicate’s ringleader to serve as an operational hub. Additionally, Nigerian authorities arrested six members of a cybercrime syndicate that infiltrated a major telecommunications provider, illegally siphoning airtime and data for resale.
Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized the devastating impact of such syndicates on individuals, businesses, and communities. He highlighted Operation Red Card 2.0 as a demonstration of the importance of cross-border collaboration and urged victims of cybercrime to contact law enforcement for assistance.
Operation Red Card 2.0 involved close coordination with partners including Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security, whose expertise and data provided critical intelligence to participating countries, helping dismantle organized cybercriminal networks across the continent.
