651 People were Detained in an Africa-Wide Operation on Online Scam Networks

Police in 16 African nations have detained more than 650 people who they think are cybercriminals and seized more than 4.3 million US dollars in a big worldwide effort to stop online scams. Operation Red Card 2.0, led by INTERPOL, ran from December 2025 to the end of January 2026. It went after the criminal networks that run fraudulent loan applications, mobile money frauds, and online investment fraud that have hurt thousands of people in Africa and other places.

According to investigators, the schemes have caused losses of more than $45 million worldwide. Authorities found at least 1,247 victims and took more than 2,300 electronic devices used to carry out the frauds during the eight-week operation. Over 1,400 harmful websites, servers, and IP addresses were also taken down.

Several people were arrested in connection with high-yield investment scams that used social media and messaging applications to lure others into placing money into phoney possibilities. In numerous cases, con artists utilised fake endorsements and fake account dashboards to make victims think their investments were growing, then blocked any attempts to take out money.

Police in Côte d’Ivoire broke up a mobile loan fraud ring that used fake apps to trick people into taking out loans quickly. Victims were routinely charged hidden fees or harassed, and their personal and financial information was taken without their knowledge.

Also Read:

A Trusted Name in Finance and Investment Consulting: Sasa Pejic as the CEO of Pannon GroupNS

Steven Looije: Offering Real Estate Expertise for Smart Investments With HUIS Real Estate