Police in 14 African countries have arrested 260 people in a UK-funded Interpol operation targeting online romance scams and “sextortion,” with investigators identifying more than 1,400 victims and nearly $2.8 million in losses, officials said.
The July–August sweep focused on criminal networks using social media and messaging platforms to groom victims and extort money with explicit imagery. “It doesn’t take long before a connection forms — and very quickly that trust is shattered,” said Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of cybercrime.
Interpol said cyber units traced IP addresses, domains and social accounts tied to the schemes, leading to arrests, the takedown of 81 cybercrime groups and seizures of USB drives, SIM cards and forged IDs. “Online platforms have opened new opportunities for criminal networks, causing both financial loss and psychological harm,” said Cyril Gout, Interpol’s acting executive director of police services.
Country results included:
- Ghana: 68 suspects arrested; 835 devices seized; 108 victims identified. Authorities recovered $70,000 from roughly $450,000 in losses. Tactics included fake courier/customs fees and recording intimate video chats for blackmail.
- Senegal: 22 suspects; 120 victims defrauded of about $34,000; 65 devices, forged IDs and remittance records seized. Networks impersonated celebrities on dating and social apps.
- Côte d’Ivoire: 24 suspects; 29 devices seized; 809 victims identified, many targeted with fake profiles and threats of exposure.
- Angola: 8 suspects; 28 domestic and international victims identified. Fraudsters used fabricated documents and identities to move funds.
Other participating countries were Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Online scams affect victims of all ages, Jetton said, though older people are often hit hardest. “Whenever we ask a country to rank its top cyber threat, without fail it is online scams,” he added. “Millions of people click on phishing emails every day.”