INTERPOL Operation Recovers $4.3M from Cybercrime in Africa

An INTERPOL-backed operation, named "Red Card 2.0," successfully recovered $4.3 million from cybercrime activities across 16 African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya. The operation targeted high-yield investment scams and mobile money fraud, which caused significant financial losses across the region.

Over an eight-week campaign, authorities arrested 651 suspects and seized 2,341 devices, dismantling 1,442 malicious IP domain servers linked to cybercrime. The operation revealed that scams were responsible for financial losses exceeding $45 million, affecting 1,247 victims.

INTERPOL coordinated with cybersecurity partners, including the Cybercrime Africa Joint Operations Centre, Trend Micro, and Uppsala Security, with additional support from the UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office and the European Union. The operation also focused on dismantling high-yield investment fraud rings that recruited young individuals for cyber-enabled crimes, leading to the shutdown of 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts.

This operation highlights the scale of cyber-enabled financial crime across Africa.