Interpol has arrested 260 suspects in a coordinated operation across 14 African countries, targeting online romance and extortion scams that defrauded more than 1,400 victims of nearly USD 2.8 million.
According to DW Africa, the large-scale crackdown highlights the rising global threat of digital fraud schemes that prey on vulnerable individuals.
In Ghana, authorities arrested 68 suspects, seized 835 electronic devices, and identified 108 victims. Investigations revealed losses of about USD 450,000, of which USD 70,000 has been recovered.
The suspects reportedly used fake profiles, forged identities, and stolen photos to trick victims in romance scams. Payments were extracted through schemes such as fake courier and customs fees. In sextortion cases, perpetrators secretly recorded intimate chats and used them for blackmail.
Senegalese police arrested 22 people linked to a network that impersonated celebrities on social media and dating platforms, defrauding 120 victims of about USD 34,000. Officers seized 65 devices, forged IDs, and money transfer records.
In Côte d’Ivoire, police dismantled a cybercrime ring that manipulated victims into sharing intimate photos and then blackmailed them for money. Twenty-four suspects were arrested, 29 devices seized, and an estimated 809 victims identified.
In Angola, authorities arrested 8 suspects and identified 28 victims, both domestic and international. Offenders relied on fake documents and fabricated identities to build trust online, enabling financial fraud and concealment of their true identities.
Interpol described the operation as evidence of how online romance scams have become a global menace, exploiting emotions and trust to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
The agency pledged to intensify cross-border cooperation and intelligence sharing to dismantle the networks behind such crimes.
