INTERPOL Operation Red Card 2.0: 651 Arrests in Africa Cybercrime Crackdown
Massive International Operation Against Online Scams Results in 651 Arrests and Recovery of $4.3 Million
A massive international operation against online scams has resulted in the arrest of 651 individuals and the recovery of over $4.3 million in illicit funds. The operation, dubbed Red Card 2.0, was a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries, led by INTERPOL.
Operation Red Card 2.0
The eight-week operation, which took place between December 8, 2025, and January 30, 2026, targeted the infrastructure and individuals behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications. The participating countries included Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Results of the Operation
According to INTERPOL, the operation exposed scams linked to over $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, primarily from the African continent, but also from other regions of the world. Authorities confiscated 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious IP addresses, domains, and servers, as well as other related infrastructure.
Notable Cases
Several notable cases were reported during the operation. In Nigeria, authorities dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that used phishing, identity theft, and social engineering tactics to recruit young individuals. Over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts were taken down, and six members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate were arrested for breaching the internal platform of a major telecommunications provider.
In Kenya, 27 individuals were arrested in connection with a fraud scheme that used messaging apps and social media to deceive victims into making fake investments. The scheme involved showing victims bogus account statements or dashboards to maintain the illusion, but blocking them from making withdrawals.
In Côte d’Ivoire, authorities arrested 58 individuals and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops, and over 300 SIM cards to disrupt a predatory mobile loan fraud scheme. The scheme targeted vulnerable populations through fake mobile applications and messaging services, enticing them with promises of unsecured loans and then trapping them with extra fees, abusive debt-collection practices, and theft of sensitive personal and financial data.
Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s director of the Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized the importance of collaboration in combating transnational cybercrime. “These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses, and entire communities with their false promises,” he said. “Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combating transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help.”
Previous Phase of the Operation
The Red Card 2.0 operation is the second phase of a larger effort to combat online scams. The first phase, which took place between November 2024 and February 2025, resulted in the arrest of 306 suspects and the seizure of 1,842 devices.
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