By Abiola Olawale
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has announced the arrest of 651 suspects following a high-stakes sting operation targeting a cyber-scam network spanning Nigeria and 15 other African nations.
Codenamed Operation Red Card 2.0, the eight-week surge (conducted between December 8, 2025, and January 30, 2026) targeted the sophisticated digital infrastructure used to siphon over $45 million from thousands of victims globally.
The coordinated effort involved law enforcement across 16 countries, leading to significant seizures and the dismantling of criminal hubs.
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 stated that operatives seized 2,341 devices and 1,442 malicious IP addresses, with domains and servers linked to the syndicates being 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 combating transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” he said.
The New Diplomat reports that in 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.
Similarly, in Kenya, security agencies 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.
