Law enforcement agencies across 16 African countries have apprehended 651 suspects and recovered over $45 million in a major crackdown on online fraud, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) announced.
The operation, codenamed Red Card 2.0, ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026, targeting high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent loan applications.
Interpol said investigations during the eight-week campaign uncovered scams linked to more than $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, most of whom were based in Africa.
The sting also resulted in the seizure of 2,341 devices and 1,442 malicious IP addresses. Domains and servers linked to the criminal networks were dismantled as part of the enforcement effort.
The organisation provided participating countries with intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange, and training on digital forensic tools to strengthen their capacity to tackle cybercrime.
Neal Jetton, director of Interpol’s cybercrime directorate, highlighted the growing threat of organised cybercriminal networks.
“Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” he said.
Interpol described the operation as a critical step toward reducing financial and psychological harm caused by online fraud, emphasising the need for ongoing cooperation between national agencies to disrupt cross-border syndicates.
