Interpol Warns of Surge in African Cybercrime, Dismantles Online Fraud Networks
Interpol has sounded the alarm on a significant surge in cybercrime across Africa, with sextortion, business email compromise, and ransomware leading the pack of threats. The international police cooperation recently conducted a major operation to dismantle online fraud networks, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures.
The operation, coordinated by an international police entity, targeted transnational criminal networks exploiting social media and digital platforms for romance and sextortion scams. In Côte d'Ivoire, 24 suspects were identified in a sextortion scheme involving fake online profiles and nearly 810 victims. Meanwhile, Ghana reported the highest number of arrests with 68 suspects and 835 devices seized, with victims collectively losing about $450,000. In Senegal, 22 suspects were apprehended for impersonating celebrities on dating platforms to defraud 120 victims of roughly $34,000. Angola arrested eight suspects tied to 28 cases involving both domestic and international victims.
The operation resulted in the dismantling of online infrastructures linked to the scams and the seizure of over 1,200 electronic devices. Interpol also arrested 260 people in total across Africa. Over 1,460 victims collectively lost an estimated $2.8 million in the scams. This operation builds on earlier crackdowns, including one in April 2024 in Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire that dismantled a phishing scheme responsible for over $1.4 million in losses to Swiss citizens.
The sharp rise in cybercrime across Africa, as warned by Interpol, underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to combat these threats. The recent operation, with its significant arrests and seizures, sends a strong message to cybercriminals that such activities will not be tolerated.
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