• Interpol arrested 651 suspects and recovered more than $4.3 million during Operation Red Card 2.0.
• Authorities identified 1,247 victims and estimated losses at more than $45 million.
• Cybercrime accounts for over 30% of reported offenses in parts of West and East Africa, Interpol says.

Interpol said it arrested 651 people and recovered more than $4.3 million during Operation Red Card 2.0, which authorities conducted between Dec. 8, 2025 and Jan. 30, 2026 across 16 African countries.

Interpol said law enforcement agencies targeted infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent loan applications. Authorities identified 1,247 victims and estimated total losses at more than $45 million.

“These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses, and entire communities with their false promises. Operation Red Card underscores the importance of collaboration in the fight against transnational cybercrime.” said Neal Jetton, director of cybercrime at Interpol.

Officials carried out targeted operations in several countries. In Nigeria, law enforcement agencies closed more than 1,000 fraudulent accounts and confiscated a residential property that suspects used as an operational base. In Kenya, officers arrested 27 people linked to fraudulent investment schemes that perpetrators promoted through messaging platforms and social networks, where they lured victims with false returns and falsified account statements. In Côte d’Ivoire, authorities arrested 58 people and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and more than 300 SIM cards during an operation that targeted mobile loan fraud affecting mainly vulnerable populations.

Interpol said Operation Red Card 2.0 followed an earlier phase conducted between November 2024 and February 2025. Authorities arrested about 300 cybercriminals and seized nearly 2,000 devices in seven African countries during the previous operation. Authorities also recorded several thousand victims of mobile banking scams, fraudulent investments and messaging-based fraud.

Interpol said the latest operation took place against a backdrop of rising cybercrime across Africa. The organization attributed the surge to rapid digital adoption and gaps in legal frameworks, training and technical resources. According to Interpol’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report, cyber-related crime now accounts for more than 30% of reported offenses in some parts of West and East Africa, while most countries call for significantly stronger enforcement capacity.

Financial losses linked to cybercrime also threaten African economies. Estimates compiled from international reports show that cybercrime cost various countries on the continent at least $3 billion between 2019 and 2025. Analysts said total costs likely exceed that figure when they include indirect losses such as productivity declines, reputational damage and system recovery expenses.

Samira Njoya