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About 260 suspected cyber scammers have been arrested in a Sting operation in 14 African countries.
The operation, coordinated by Interpol and funded by the United Kingdom, directs criminal networks using social media and digital platforms to retrieve money from casualties in romance fraud and in the so -called “sexuals”, where the victims are blackmailed with explicit images.
More than 1400 casualties in Ghana, Kenya, Angola and other places have been identified, with Interpol estimating its losses at nearly $ 2.8 million ($ 2.1 million).
The global police network said it was committed to “violating and dismantling groups that prey to vulnerable persons online.”
During the repression, which took place between July and August, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domain and social media profiles related to fraudulent unions.
These presenters and subsequent arrests also led to the seizure of USB discs, SIM cards and forged documents, as well as the removal of 81 cybercrime infrastructures in Africa, Interpol said.
“Cyber ​​crime units in Africa are reporting a sharp increase in crimes with digital assets such as sexual and romance fraud,” says Cyril Gutt, acting CEO of the Interpol Police Services.
He said the growth of online platforms has opened new opportunities for criminal networks to operate the victims, “causing both financial loss and psychological harm.”
About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where authorities seized 835 devices and identified 108 casualties during the operation. Investigators have recovered $ 70,000 out of approximately $ 450,000 in financial losses.
The scammers in Ghana have derived payments using a number of schemes, including counterfeit courier and customs delivery fees. They secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats and used them to blackmail people.
In Senegal, police have arrested 22 suspects and revealed a network that poses as celebrities and uses emotional manipulation on social media and dating platforms to deceive 120 casualties at approximately $ 34,000.
During the operation in Senegal, a total of 65 devices, forged identification documents and money transfer records were seized.
And in the d’Ivoire, police arrested 24 suspects, seized 29 devices and identified 809 casualties. The scammers used fake profiles online to blackmail casualties, requiring payments to prevent public exposure.
Eight suspects were arrested in Angola, where authorities identified 28 domestic and international casualties, directed mainly through social media. The scammers used fraudulent documents to create false identities, facilitating financial transactions and concealing their real identity while engaging the victims.
Other countries involved in the African joint operation against the cybercrime project include Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
