Ghanaian and United States authorities have arrested 130 people in connection with alleged internet scams involving more than $10 million, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday, October 8.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspects, including people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds, were linked to schemes targeting 89 victims. The nationalities of the victims and alleged perpetrators were not disclosed.
The arrests formed part of the FBI’s “Operation Blackout”, which targets organised internet fraud networks operating from houses and apartment complexes. According to Mr Patel, the operation has seized $17 billion worldwide and warned more than 10,000 Americans considered vulnerable to scams.
The crackdown follows an Interpol-led operation announced in February 2026, during which police in 16 African countries arrested 651 people over investment scams, mobile-money fraud and fraudulent mobile-loan applications. Most of the victims in that operation were Africans.