Law enforcement from 16 African countries arrested 651 individuals and recovered over $4.3 million in an eight-week cybercrime crackdown (Dec 8, 2025 – Jan 30, 2026). The operation targeted high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent loan apps.
Key results:
▪️$45M+ in financial losses linked to exposed scams
▪️1,247 victims identified
▪️2,341 devices seized
▪️1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers taken down
Notable cases:
▪️Nigeria – Dismantled an investment fraud ring using phishing, identity theft, and 1,000+ fake social media accounts. Separately, six suspects arrested for infiltrating a major telecom provider's internal platform.
▪️Kenya – 27 arrests tied to fake investment schemes using fabricated dashboards to block withdrawals.
▪️Côte d'Ivoire – 58 arrests and seizure of 240 phones, 25 laptops, and 300+ SIM cards linked to predatory mobile loan fraud.
The operation was conducted under INTERPOL's African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), funded by the UK's FCDO, with private sector intelligence support from Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security.
