In a sweeping international operation targeting digital romance scams and sextortion, authorities across 14 African countries have arrested 260 suspects linked to cybercrime networks.
Dubbed Operation Contender 3.0, the two-week crackdown was led by INTERPOL between 28 July and 11 August, seizing over 1,200 electronic devices and dismantling 81 criminal cyber infrastructures. The suspects allegedly exploited social media and dating platforms, using fake profiles and stolen images to deceive victims. Sextortion cases involved secretly recorded explicit content used to blackmail individuals, often leading to devastating financial and psychological harm.
Ghana saw the highest number of arrests — 68 suspects — with investigators recovering $70,000 out of an estimated $450,000 in stolen funds. In Côte d’Ivoire, police dismantled a major sextortion ring with over 800 identified victims. Senegalese authorities arrested 22 suspects accused of impersonating celebrities to scam 120 individuals. Angola reported eight arrests and 28 victims, while other countries involved included Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda.
Victims spanned all age groups, though older individuals were more frequently targeted. Interpol estimates nearly $2.8 million in total losses across 1,463 victims. “Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams,” said Cyril Gout, INTERPOL’s acting Executive Director. “By working closely with our member countries and private sector partners, we remain committed to disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online,” Gout added. With support from private tech firms and UK funding, Operation Contender 3.0 underscores the growing threat of cybercrime in Africa — and the increasing resolve to confront it head-on.