Some 260 suspected cyber scammers have been arrested in a sting operation carried out across 14 African countries.
The operation, coordinated by Interpol and funded by the UK, targeted criminal networks using social media and digital platforms to extract money from victims in romance scams, and in so-called 'sextortion,' where victims are blackmailed using explicit imagery.
More than 1,400 victims across Ghana, Kenya, Angola, and elsewhere were identified, with Interpol estimating their losses at nearly $2.8m (£2.1m).
The global police network said it was committed to 'disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online.'
During the crackdown, which was carried out between July and August, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domains, and social media profiles linked to members of the scam syndicates.
These leads and the subsequent arrests also resulted in the seizure of USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents, as well as the taking down of 81 cybercrime infrastructures across Africa, Interpol reported.
'Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams,' remarked Cyril Gout, the acting executive director of police services at Interpol.
He noted that the growth of online platforms had opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims 'causing both financial loss and psychological harm.'
About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where authorities seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims during the operation. Investigators there recovered $70,000 from the estimated $450,000 in financial losses.
Scammers in Ghana used various schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees, and secretly recorded explicit content to blackmail victims.
In Senegal, 22 suspects were apprehended in a network that impersonated celebrities, defrauding 120 victims of roughly $34,000.
A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents, and money transfer records were seized during the operation in Senegal.
Police in Ivory Coast arrested 24 suspects, seizing 29 devices and identifying 809 victims who were blackmailed through fake online profiles.
Eight suspects were arrested in Angola, where 28 victims were targeted via social media, often using fraudulent documents to create false identities.
Other countries involved in the operation represent a significant collaborative effort under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime project, including Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
