{"id":43779,"date":"2026-02-19T20:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T12:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuoya.nuoyayasuo.top\/index.php\/2026\/02\/19\/police-arrests-651-suspects-in-african-cybercrime-crackdown\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T20:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T12:20:10","slug":"police-arrests-651-suspects-in-african-cybercrime-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuoya.nuoyayasuo.top\/index.php\/2026\/02\/19\/police-arrests-651-suspects-in-african-cybercrime-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Police arrests 651 suspects in African cybercrime crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleepstatic.com\/content\/hl-images\/2025\/06\/16\/law-enforcement-arrest-red.jpg\" width=\"1600\" alt=\"Police arrests 651 suspects in African cybercrime crackdown\"><\/p>\n<p>African law enforcement agencies arrested 651 suspects and recovered over $4.3 million in a joint operation targeting investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake loan applications.<\/p>\n<p>As INTERPOL revealed on Wednesday, Operation Red Card 2.0 identified 1,247 victims between December 8 and January 30 while targeting cybercrime operations linked to over $45 million in financial losses.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities across 16 countries also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious websites, domains, and servers during this joint action coordinated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interpol.int\/Crimes\/Cybercrime\/Projects\/AFJOC-African-Joint-Operation-against-Cybercrime\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\" style=\"width:98%; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; padding:4px; background:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:6px;\">  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wiz.io\/lp\/ai-security-board-report-template?utm_source=bleepingcomputer&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=FY26Q4_INB_FORM_AI-Security-Board-Report-Template&amp;sfcid=701Vh00000Wn7E1IAJ&amp;utm_term=FY27-bleepingcomputer-article-970x250&amp;utm_content=AI-Board-Report\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleepstatic.com\/c\/w\/ai-security-board-report-template.jpg\" style=\"margin-top: 0px;\" alt=\"Police arrests 651 suspects in African cybercrime crackdown\"><\/a> <\/div>\n<p>In Nigeria, police officers dismantled an investment fraud ring that was recruiting young people to run phishing, identity theft, and fake investment schemes, taking down over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts in the process. They also arrested six members of a Nigerian cybercrime gang that used stolen employee credentials to breach a major telecom provider.<\/p>\n<p>Kenyan investigators also apprehended 27 suspects while investigating fraud networks that used social media and messaging platforms&nbsp;to lure victims into fake investment schemes.<\/p>\n<p>In C&ocirc;te d&#8217;Ivoire, 58 suspects were arrested as part of a crackdown on predatory mobile loan apps that targeted victims with hidden fees and abusive debt-collection practices.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses and entire communities with their false promises,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interpol.int\/News-and-Events\/News\/2026\/Major-operation-in-Africa-targeting-online-scams-nets-651-arrests-recovers-USD-4.3-million\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">said Neal Jetton<\/a>, the head of INTERPOL&#8217;s Cybercrime Directorate.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>One year ago, African law enforcement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/police-arrests-300-suspects-linked-to-african-cybercrime-rings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">arrested another 306 suspects<\/a> in the first stage of this INTERPOL-led operation targeting cross-border cybercriminal networks.<\/p>\n<p>This is the latest INTERPOL operation targeting African cybercrime, with thousands of arrests and multiple multimillion-dollar operations disrupted or dismantled in recent years, following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/over-1-000-arrested-in-massive-serengeti-anti-cybercrime-operation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Operation Serengeti<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/interpol-arrests-14-suspected-cybercriminals-for-stealing-40-million\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Operation Africa Cyber Surge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<style> .ia_ad {     background-color: #f0f6ff;     width: 95%;     max-width: 800px;     margin: 15px auto;     border-radius: 8px;     border: 1px solid #d6ddee;     display: flex;     align-items: stretch;     padding: 0;     overflow: hidden; }  .ia_lef {     flex: 1;     max-width: 200px;     height: auto;     display: flex;     align-items: stretch; }  .ia_lef a {     display: flex;     width: 100%;     height: 100%; }   .ia_lef a img {     width: 100%;     height: 100%;          border-radius: 8px 0 0 8px;     margin: 0;     display: block; }  .ia_rig {     flex: 2;     padding: 10px;     display: flex;     flex-direction: column;     justify-content: center; }  .ia_rig h2 {     font-size: 17px !important;     font-weight: 700;     color: #333;     line-height: 1.4;     font-family: Georgia, \"Times New Roman\", Times, serif;     margin: 0 0 14px 0; }  .ia_rig p {     font-weight: bold;     font-size: 14px;     margin: 0 0 clamp(6px, 2vw, 14px) 0; }  .ia_button {     background-color: #FFF;     border: 1px solid #3b59aa;     color: black;     text-align: center;     text-decoration: none;     border-radius: 8px;     display: inline-block;     font-size: 16px;     font-weight: bold;     cursor: pointer;     padding: 10px 20px;     width: fit-content; }  .ia_button a {     text-decoration: none;     color: inherit;     display: block; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {     .ia_ad {         flex-direction: column;         align-items: center;     }      .ia_lef {         max-width: 100%;     }      .ia_lef a img {         border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0;     }       .ia_rig {         padding: 15px;         width: 100%;     }      .ia_button {         width: 100%; \tmargin: 0px auto;     } } <\/style>\n<div>\n<div>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tines.com\/access\/guide\/the-future-of-it-infrastructure\/?utm_source=BleepingComputer&#038;utm_medium=paid_media&#038;utm_content=ROS-inarticlebanner-0102\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">             <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleepstatic.com\/c\/t\/tines-in-art-square.jpg\" alt=\"Police arrests 651 suspects in African cybercrime crackdown\">         <\/a>     <\/div>\n<div>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tines.com\/access\/guide\/the-future-of-it-infrastructure\/?utm_source=BleepingComputer&#038;utm_medium=paid_media&#038;utm_content=ROS-inarticlebanner-0102\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">The future of IT infrastructure is here<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Modern IT infrastructure moves faster than manual workflows can handle.<\/p>\n<p>In this new Tines guide, learn how your team can reduce hidden manual delays, improve reliability through automated response, and build and scale intelligent workflows on top of tools you already use.<\/p>\n<p>          <button><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tines.com\/access\/guide\/the-future-of-it-infrastructure\/?utm_source=BleepingComputer&#038;utm_medium=paid_media&#038;utm_content=ROS-inarticlebanner-0102\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Get the guide<\/a><\/button>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Related Articles:<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/police-arrests-300-suspects-linked-to-african-cybercrime-rings\/\">Police arrests 300 suspects linked to African cybercrime rings<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/crypto-wallets-received-a-record-158-billion-in-illicit-funds-last-year\/\">Crypto wallets received a record $158 billion in illicit funds last year<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/interpol-led-action-decrypts-6-ransomware-strains-arrests-hundreds\/\">Interpol-led action decrypts 6 ransomware strains, arrests hundreds<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/fugitive-behind-73m-pig-butchering-scheme-gets-20-years-in-prison\/\">Fugitive behind $73M &#8216;pig butchering&#8217; 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