Massive Crackdown on Cybercrime: 260 Arrested for Sextortion Across Africa

Mon Sep 29 2025 00:25:51 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A coordinated sting operation targeting romantic scams and sextortion across 14 African nations leads to the arrest of 260 suspects, highlighting a growing cybercrime crisis in the region.

A recent operation led by Interpol has resulted in the arrest of 260 individuals across 14 African countries, who were involved in sextortion and romance scams. During the crackdown, police apprehended suspects, seized criminal assets, and identified over 1,400 victims, collectively losing nearly $2.8 million. The operation underscores the rising threat of online scams exacerbated by the rapid growth of digital platforms.

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 $2.8 million (£2.1 million). The global police network has stated its commitment to disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online.

During the crackdown that took place 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 taking down 81 cybercrime infrastructures across Africa.

Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams, said Cyril Gout, the acting executive director of police services at Interpol. He emphasized that the growth of online platforms has opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims, causing both financial loss and psychological harm.

In Ghana, authorities arrested 68 suspects and identified 108 victims during the operation, recovering $70,000 from an estimated $450,000 in financial losses. Scammers employed various schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees, alongside secretly recording intimate videos for blackmail purposes.

Similarly, in Senegal, 22 suspects were arrested for impersonating celebrities and manipulating victims emotionally on social media, defrauding 120 victims of about $34,000. In Ivory Coast, 24 suspects were apprehended, and in Angola, eight suspects targeted victims using fake identities on social media.

Other countries involved in the operation include Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.