An INTERPOL-supported cybercrime operation involving 16 African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya, has recovered over $4.3 million and dismantled multiple transnational fraud networks.
The disclosure was made in a statement published on the INTERPOL website on February 18, 2026.
The operation, named Red Card 2.0, targeted high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications, which had caused millions in losses across Africa and other regions.
What they are saying
During the eight-week campaign, authorities arrested 651 suspects, seized 2,341 devices, and dismantled 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers, alongside other infrastructure linked to cybercrime. Investigators reported that the scams were responsible for financial losses exceeding $45 million, affecting 1,247 victims.
- “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.”
- “Operation Red Card 2.0 (8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026) targeted the infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications.”
- “During the eight-week operation, investigations exposed scams linked to over USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, predominantly from the African continent but also from other regions of the world.”
INTERPOL coordinated the operation with cybersecurity partners, including Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security, providing intelligence, technical expertise, and training.
The initiative was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with additional support from the GLACY-e project of the European Union and Council of Europe.
Regional cybercrime rings broken up in West and East Africa
In Nigeria, authorities dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that recruited young individuals to commit cyber-enabled crimes using phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and fake digital asset schemes.
Investigators shut down over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts and discovered a residential property used as the syndicate’s operational hub.
- In Kenya, 27 arrests were made in connection with scams that lured victims through messaging apps, social media, and fake testimonials, with fabricated account statements and blocked withdrawals.
- Côte d’Ivoire saw 58 arrests linked to mobile loan fraud targeting vulnerable populations with deceptive apps and messaging, resulting in hidden fees, abusive debt collection, and illegal harvesting of sensitive personal data.
A separate Nigerian case involved six members of a sophisticated syndicate arrested for infiltrating a telecommunications provider to illegally resell airtime and data.
The 16 participating countries included Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Flashback
INTERPOL and Europol have repeatedly targeted African cybercrime networks. In January 2026, Europol arrested 10 Nigerians in Spain in a crackdown on the ‘Black Axe’ network, linked to fraud losses of over €5.93 million.
- A total of 34 suspects were detained in Spain with support from German authorities. The network, based in Nigeria and active in multiple countries, was involved in cyber fraud, human trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and other crimes.
- Previously, an INTERPOL-led operation across seven African countries resulted in 300 cybercrime arrests and the seizure of 1,842 devices, targeting mobile banking, investment, and messaging app scams affecting over 5,000 victims.
In Nigeria alone, 130 arrests were made, including 113 foreign nationals, alongside seizures of vehicles, houses, land, and hundreds of devices. South Africa, Zambia, and Rwanda also reported major arrests linked to SIM box fraud, malware attacks, and social engineering scams.
What you should know
The recent operations show the scale of cyber-enabled financial crimes across Africa. INTERPOL led Operation Catalyst from July to September 2025, targeting cryptocurrency-based Ponzi schemes, terrorism financing, and money laundering.
INTERPOL described the operation as a landmark effort to disrupt large-scale, cross-border financial crimes and show the links between cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, and terrorism financing.
