African Cybercrime Crackdown: 651 Suspects Arrested in Global Police Operation

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African Law Enforcement Agencies Crack Down on Cybercrime, Arrest 651 Suspects

A joint operation conducted by law enforcement agencies across 16 African countries has resulted in the arrest of 651 suspects and the recovery of over $4.3 million in a crackdown on investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake loan applications.

Operation Red Card 2.0

The operation, dubbed Red Card 2.0, was coordinated by the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) and targeted cybercrime operations linked to over $45 million in financial losses.

Between December 8 and January 30, the operation identified 1,247 victims and seized 2,341 devices. Authorities also took down 1,442 malicious websites, domains, and servers.

Country-Specific Results

In Nigeria, police dismantled an investment fraud ring that had recruited young people to run phishing, identity theft, and fake investment schemes, taking down over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts in the process.

In addition, Nigerian authorities arrested six members of a cybercrime gang that used stolen employee credentials to breach a major telecom provider.

In Kenya, investigators apprehended 27 suspects while investigating fraud networks that used social media and messaging platforms to lure victims into fake investment schemes.

In Côte d’Ivoire, 58 suspects were arrested as part of a crackdown on predatory mobile loan apps that targeted victims with hidden fees and abusive debt-collection practices.

“Cybercrime syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses, and communities with their false promises,” said Neal Jetton, head of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate. “Operation Red Card demonstrates the impact of collaboration in disrupting these networks. We encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help.”

Continued Efforts to Combat Cybercrime

The operation is the latest in a series of efforts by African law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime. Last year, authorities arrested 306 suspects in the first stage of Operation Red Card, and thousands of arrests have been made in recent years as part of operations such as Serengeti and Africa Cyber Surge.