An operation led by Interpol has resulted in the arrests of 651 fraudsters and the recovery of $4.3 million across 16 African nations.
The eight-week mission, titled “Operation Red Card 2.0,” which took place between December 8, 2025, and January 30, 2026, was led by Interpol to dismantle organized cybercrime networks involved in investment scams and mobile money fraud.
It operated under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) framework, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
According to the report by itwire, 1,247 victims worldwide suffered a combined financial loss exceeding $45 million, over fraudulent schemes during the period under review.
The report also stated that Law enforcement agencies seized 2,341 digital devices and disabled 1,442 malicious IP addresses, domains, and servers used to host scams.
On the Interpol list, Nigeria, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire emerged as primary hubs for these activities, with Nigeria alone dismantling a ring that utilized over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts.
In Nigeria, the police dismantled a syndicate that recruited young individuals for identity theft and social engineering.
One notable success involved the arrest of six individuals accused of hacking a telecommunications operator’s internal platform to divert $4.8 million (N7.7 billion) in airtime and data.
In Kenya, the Kenyan authorities targeted “pig butchering” investment scams, where victims were lured into making small initial payments on messaging apps before their accounts were blocked.
Meanwhile, in Côte d’Ivoire, police arrested 58 individuals linked to predatory mobile loan applications that used abusive debt-collection practices to harvest sensitive financial data.
Neal Jetton, Director of the Cybercrime Directorate of the Interpol, while speaking via the media, emphasized that collaboration should never be downplayed when combating transnational cybercrime;
”These cybercriminal syndicates cause significant financial and psychological harm to individuals and businesses. Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combating transnational cybercrime”
Interpol stated that these scams are spreading because many people lack digital literacy and face economic challenges.
Interpol also encouraged all victims of online fraud to report incidents to local law enforcement to assist in ongoing investigations.
