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The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has announced that law enforcement agencies arrested 651 suspects and recovered more than $4.3 million during a major crackdown on online fraud across African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the agency said the operation, codenamed Operation Red Card 2.0, ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026. The initiative targeted high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent loan applications.
According to INTERPOL, investigations during the operation uncovered scams linked to over $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, predominantly from Africa, but also from other regions.
“Law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries have made 651 arrests and recovered more than USD 4.3 million in an international cybercrime operation against online scams,” the statement read.
Authorities also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious IP addresses, domains, servers, and related infrastructure.
INTERPOL supported the operation through intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange, and capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools.
“These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses, and entire communities with their false promises. Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combating transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” said Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate.
In Nigeria, police dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that recruited young individuals to carry out cyber-enabled crimes using phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and fake digital asset investment schemes. More than 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts were taken down. Investigators also uncovered a residential property built by the syndicate’s ringleader and used as an operational hub for the criminal activities.
In Kenya, authorities arrested 27 suspects linked to fraud schemes that used messaging apps, social media, and fictitious testimonials to lure victims into fake investments in reputable global corporations. Scammers solicited small initial investments — sometimes as low as $50 — promising lucrative returns. Victims were shown fabricated account statements or dashboards, while withdrawal requests were systematically blocked.
In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement officers arrested 58 suspects and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops, and more than 300 SIM cards in a targeted operation against mobile loan fraud. The scams mainly targeted vulnerable individuals through deceptive mobile applications and messaging services, promising quick, unsecured loans. Victims were then subjected to hidden fees, abusive debt-collection practices, and the illegal harvesting of sensitive personal and financial data.
In a separate breakthrough, Nigerian authorities arrested six members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate accused of infiltrating the internal platform of a major telecommunications provider using compromised staff login credentials. The group allegedly siphoned large volumes of airtime and data for illegal resale before the scheme was disrupted.
During Operation Red Card 2.0, INTERPOL worked closely with partners including Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security, leveraging their data and expertise to provide critical intelligence to participating countries.
The operation was carried out under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), an initiative funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. It also received operational support from the Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced (GLACY-e) project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Participating countries included Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
