Global policing organization, INTERPOL, has announced the arrest of 1,006 suspects of cybercrime in Africa, following a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL.
Dubbed ‘Operation Serengeti’, the operation targeted criminals behind:
- Ransomware
- Business email compromise (BEC)
- Digital extortion, and
- Online scams
all identified as prominent threats in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
According to Interpol, over 35,000 cybercrime victims were identified during the operation, with cases linked to nearly USD 193 million in financial losses worldwide.
“In Kenya, officers cracked a case of online credit card fraud linked to losses of USD 8.6 million. The funds, stolen through fraudulent scripts run after altering the banking system’s security protocol, were promptly redistributed by the group via SWIFT to companies in the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and China and subsequently, to digital asset institutions offering trading and financial services regulated in multiple jurisdictions.
Nearly two dozen arrests have been made so far.”
– Interpol
- In Senegal, eight individuals, including five Chinese nationals, were arrested for operating a USD 6 million online ponzi scheme that defrauded 1,811 victims. A raid on their apartment revealed over 900 SIM cards, USD 11,000 in cash, phones, laptops, and copies of victims’ identification cards.
- Nigerian authorities apprehended a man suspected of running online investment scams, Interpol said. He allegedly earned over USD 300,000 by using messaging platforms to deceive victims with fake promises of cryptocurrency returns.
- In Cameroon, authorities detained a group accused of trafficking individuals from seven countries to operate a multi-level marketing scam. Victims were lured with promises of employment or training after paying a ‘membership fee,’ but upon arrival in Cameroon, they were held captive and forced to recruit others to secure their release, said Interpol. Preliminary estimates indicate the group had amassed at least USD 150,000 in fees.
- In Angola, the authorities dismantled an international criminal network operating a virtual casino in Luanda. The group targeted Brazilian and Nigerian gamblers, defrauding hundreds through an online platform that promised members a share of winnings for recruiting new subscribers. The operation led to approximately 150 arrests, with investigators seizing 200 computers and over 100 mobile phones.
Below is the full list of countries that participated in the operation:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
LIST | Here Are 6 African Countries Where Banks and Crypto Wallets Are Getting Targeted by the Grandoreiro Trojan #Malware
The threat targets more than 1,700 banks and 276 crypto wallets across 45 countries and territories including #Africahttps://t.co/YoHI40Gdyl @kaspersky pic.twitter.com/DcgJZiagyl
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) October 24, 2024
