651 suspects arrested as Interpol busts $45m cyber scam network in Nigeria, 15 African countries

651 suspects arrested as Interpol busts $45m cyber scam network in Nigeria, 15 African countries

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)
says law enforcement agencies across 16 African nations have arrested 651
suspects and recovered over $4.3 million during a crackdown on online fraud. The organisation said the sting, codenamed Operation Red
Card 2.0, ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026, targeting high-yield
investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent loan applications. According to Interpol, investigations during the eight-week
exercise uncovered scams linked to more than $45 million in financial losses
and identified 1,247 victims — mostly from Africa. It said operatives seized 2,341 devices and 1,442 malicious
IP addresses, with domains and servers linked to the syndicates dismantled.  The organisation noted that it supported participating
countries with intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange and
training on digital forensic tools. Neal Jetton, director of Interpol’s cybercrime directorate,
said organised cybercriminal networks continue to cause significant financial
and psychological harm. “Operation Red Card highlights the importance of
collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims
of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” he said.  INVESTMENT FRAUD LINK DISMANTLED IN NIGERIAIn Nigeria, Interpol said police dismantled a high-yield
investment fraud syndicate that recruited young individuals to execute
phishing, identity theft, social engineering and fake digital asset investment
schemes. According to the organisation, investigators took down more
than 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts linked to the network and uncovered
a residential building constructed by the alleged ringleader as an operational
hub for the crimes. It said Nigerian authorities arrested six members of a
cybercrime syndicate, accused of infiltrating the internal platform of a major
telecommunications provider using compromised staff login credentials, in a
separate operation.  Interpol said the suspects allegedly siphoned large volumes
of airtime and data for illegal resale before the scheme was disrupted. MAJOR ARRESTS IN KENYA, CÔTE D’IVOIRE In Kenya, authorities arrested 27 suspects linked to fraud
schemes that used messaging apps, social media platforms and fabricated
testimonials to lure victims into fake investments in reputable global
corporations. According to Interpol, victims were persuaded to invest as
little as $50 with promises of high returns and were shown falsified dashboards
and account statements. However, withdrawal requests were allegedly blocked.  In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement agencies arrested 58
suspects and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and more than 300 SIM cards
in a targeted operation against mobile loan fraud. Authorities said the scams targeted vulnerable individuals
through deceptive mobile applications, promising quick, unsecured loans before
imposing hidden fees, abusive debt-collection practices and harvesting
sensitive personal data. Interpol said the operation was conducted under the African
Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), funded by the UK’s Foreign,
Commonwealth & Development Office. It added that the Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced
(GLACY-e) project — a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of
Europe — provided operational support.  























































































It added that the participating countries include Angola,
Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

Source: 651 suspects arrested as Interpol busts $45m cyber scam network in Nigeria, 15 African countries

 - NigerianEye
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