Interpol has arrested 260 individuals across 14 African nations as part of a coordinated operation targeting transnational online fraud networks that defrauded more than 1,400 victims of nearly $2.8 million.
The monthslong crackdown, which focused on romance scams and sextortion schemes, reflects growing global concerns over the surge in digital extortion crimes exploiting emotional vulnerabilities and digital platforms.
In Ghana, authorities arrested 68 suspects and seized 835 electronic devices. Investigators identified 108 victims and uncovered $450,000 in associated financial losses. Approximately $70,000 was recovered during the operation.
According to law enforcement officials, the Ghana-based suspects deployed a variety of tactics, including fake online profiles, forged identities, and stolen images to build trust with victims. Funds were extracted under the pretense of fake courier fees, customs payments, or emergency assistance. In several cases, suspects engaged victims in explicit online conversations, secretly recorded the exchanges, and later used the footage for blackmail.
Similar operations were carried out across the continent. In Senegal, police arrested 22 individuals linked to a scheme in which suspects posed as celebrities on dating platforms, defrauding 120 victims of roughly $34,000. Authorities seized forged identification documents and 65 electronic devices.
In Côte d’Ivoire, 24 suspects were detained after police dismantled a cybercrime ring that had used fake profiles to coerce victims into sharing intimate content. With access to compromising material, the suspects then extorted payments under threat of public exposure. Police identified 809 victims and seized 29 devices.
In Angola, eight arrests were made in connection with scams targeting both domestic and international victims. Fraudulent documents were used to fabricate identities and facilitate illicit financial transactions, according to local authorities.
Interpol said the arrests highlight the expanding reach of online romance fraud and its psychological and financial toll on victims. The agency emphasized the importance of enhanced international cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat what it described as a “global menace.”
"These scams exploit trust and emotion to manipulate victims, often leaving both financial and emotional devastation in their wake," Interpol said in a statement. The agency has vowed to intensify efforts to dismantle the criminal networks fueling such schemes.
