INTERPOL Cracks Down on African Cybercrime: Over 1,000 Arrested and 134,000 Malicious Networks Shut Down
A major INTERPOL-led operation, Operation Serengeti, has resulted in the arrest of 1,006 suspects across 19 African nations and the dismantling of 134,089 malicious infrastructures. The initiative, conducted between September 2 and October 31, 2024, aimed to disrupt cybercrime operations across the continent, targeting activities such as ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and online scams.
Coordinated Efforts Across Africa
The operation spanned 19 countries, including Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Criminal schemes exposed during the exercise ranged from Ponzi scams and credit card fraud to investment fraud and multi-level marketing cons. Collectively, these cybercrimes impacted over 35,000 victims worldwide, leading to nearly $193 million in financial losses.
High-Profile Arrests and Takedowns
- Ponzi Scheme in Senegal: Authorities arrested eight individuals, including five Chinese nationals, connected to a $6 million Ponzi scheme. Investigators discovered 900 SIM cards, $11,000 in cash, laptops, phones, and ID copies tied to 1,811 victims.
- Virtual Casino Scam: In Luanda, Angola, law enforcement dismantled an online casino operation targeting gamblers from Brazil and Nigeria. The scammers lured victims with promises of winnings and rewards for recruiting new members.
Cybercrime Insights and Industry Support
Private cybersecurity firms, including Group-IB and Kaspersky, collaborated with INTERPOL to provide critical intelligence.
- Group-IB identified 10,000 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks originating from Africa-based servers, over 3,000 phishing domains, and details of threat actors active on dark web forums.
- Kaspersky contributed data on ransomware attacks, malware, and indicators of compromise (IoCs) associated with malicious infrastructure across the region.
Growing Threats and Future Efforts
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasized the increasing scale and complexity of cybercrime:
“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the rising volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is deeply concerning. Operation Serengeti highlights the power of collaboration, but we know this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Urquiza noted that the arrests and infrastructure takedowns will prevent countless future victims from experiencing personal and financial harm.
Moving Forward
Operation Serengeti underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime. As cybercriminals continue to evolve their tactics, INTERPOL and its partners remain committed to dismantling networks, prosecuting offenders, and protecting vulnerable individuals worldwide.
