Ghana Leads Interpol Cybercrime Sweep Across Africa

Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects and seized 835 electronic devices in a continent-wide cybercrime operation targeting romance scams and sextortion schemes, officials said. 

Investigators traced USD 450,000 in losses, recovering 70,000 in the crackdown.

The exercise, Operation Contender 3.0, ran from 28 July to 11 August 2025 across 14 African countries, resulting in the arrest of 260 suspects and the seizure of more than 1,200 devices, including USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents. 

Authorities dismantled 81 cybercrime infrastructures, using IP addresses, social media profiles, and digital networks to track suspects.

Other countries also recorded significant action. Senegal arrested 22 suspects in celebrity impersonation scams affecting 120 victims and seized 65 devices. 

Côte d’Ivoire dismantled a sextortion network involving 809 victims, arresting 24 suspects and seizing 29 devices. Angola arrested eight suspects targeting 28 victims through forged identities.

Cybercrime has surged across Africa in recent years, fueled by the rapid growth of online platforms, mobile money services, and social networks. 

Analysts note that digital fraud schemes, including romance scams, sextortion, phishing, and fake courier scams, have increasingly targeted vulnerable individuals, causing both financial and psychological harm.

Authorities say the operation highlights the urgent need for strengthened cybersecurity measures, cross-border cooperation, and proactive monitoring of online platforms to protect citizens and dismantle transnational criminal networks.

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