Interpol announced on Friday that 1,209 people have been arrested throughout Africa as part of a significant cybercrime crackdown that has recovered around $97.4 million.
The operation, known as Operation Serengeti 2.0, was conducted from June to August.
To combat dangerous cybercrimes, including ransomware, inheritance scams, and business email compromise, it gathered investigators from 18 African nations as well as the United Kingdom.
Nearly 88,000 people were the target of the scams overall, according to a statement from the international police group.
From online fraud to bitcoin mining.
Authorities in Angola demolished 25 bitcoin mining facilities where 60 Chinese nationals were engaged in cryptocurrency mining, according to Interpol.
Over $37 million worth of equipment was seized as a result of the operation; the government now intends to utilize the equipment to support power distribution in areas at risk.
The operation shut down an online investment scheme in Zambia that used a fake high-return cryptocurrency scam to deceive over 65,000 victims out of an estimated $300 million.
The con artists used massive advertising campaigns that promised high-yield returns to entice victims into investing in cryptocurrencies.
After that, victims were instructed to download several apps to take part, according to Interpol.
It stated that officials had confiscated evidence, including websites, bank accounts, and mobile phones, and that 15 persons had been arrested.
Authorities interrupted a suspected human trafficking network in Zambia while uncovering the scam center, according to Interpol.
Additionally, Interpol claimed to have busted a German-originated global inheritance scam in the Ivory Coast.
The victims lost $1.6 million after being duped into paying fees to claim fictitious inheritances.
Even while inheritance scams are among the most persistent online frauds, they nevertheless bring in a sizable sum of money for criminal groups, the report stated.
The role of Interpol
The largest international police network in the world for fighting international crime is Interpol, which has 196 member nations and celebrated its centenary last year.
Located in Lyons, France, it facilitates communication between national police units and aids in the tracking of suspects and criminals in fields such as organized crime, financial crime, child pornography, cybercrime, and counterterrorism.
It has faced new difficulties in recent years, including a rise in the number of cases involving child sex abuse and cybercrime, as well as developing rifts among its member nations.
Interpol arrested more than 1,000 people in the initial Operation Serengeti last year, which targeted 35,000 victims.
