Interpol, the world’s largest policing body with 196 members, coordinated a cybercrime crackdown across 14 African countries.
Authorities arrested 260 suspects in July and August for romance scams and online blackmail schemes.
Victims Lose Millions in Digital Scams
Criminals built fake romantic ties to steal money or extort targets with explicit images, investigators reported.
Over 1,400 victims lost nearly $2.8 million during these widespread fraud operations.
Arrests Highlight Widespread Deception
Ghanaian police caught 68 suspects who used false identities for extortion and blackmail.
Senegalese authorities detained 22 who posed as celebrities to steal $34,000 from more than 100 people.
Côte d’Ivoire officials arrested 24 suspects for creating fake accounts to extort intimate content from victims.
