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Interpol coordinated a major international law enforcement operation, codenamed Operation Contender 3.0, which resulted in the arrest of 260 individuals suspected of running romance scams and sextortion schemes across 14 African countries. The operation, conducted over two weeks, targeted criminal networks exploiting online platforms to deceive and extort victims, often through fake identities and stolen images. Authorities seized 1,235 electronic devices, including phones, USB drives, and SIM cards, which were allegedly used to facilitate these crimes. Investigators linked approximately 1,463 victims to the scams, with total financial losses estimated at around $2.8 million. In Ghana, police arrested 68 suspects, seized 835 devices, and identified 108 victims who collectively lost $450,000, of which $70,000 was recovered. Senegalese authorities apprehended 22 suspects accused of defrauding 120 victims on social media and dating platforms, resulting in losses of about $34,000. In Cote d’Ivoire, 24 suspects were arrested, and 809 victims were identified as having been manipulated into sharing intimate images, which were then used for blackmail. Angolan authorities arrested eight individuals for scamming 28 victims, both domestic and international, via social media. The operation also led to the dismantling of 81 cybercrime infrastructure networks across the continent. The scams typically involved criminals luring victims into online relationships using fake profiles, then demanding money for fraudulent courier or customs fees, or engaging in sextortion by secretly recording explicit video chats. Interpol highlighted a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as romance scams and sextortion, attributing this trend to the growth of online platforms that provide new opportunities for criminal exploitation. The psychological and financial harm to victims was emphasized by Interpol officials, who noted the importance of international cooperation in combating these crimes. Private sector partners, including Group-IB and Trend Micro, assisted in the investigation, demonstrating the value of public-private collaboration in cybercrime enforcement. Other participating countries included Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. The operation underscores the scale and complexity of cyber-enabled fraud in Africa and the necessity of coordinated, cross-border law enforcement action. Authorities also recovered forged documents and other evidence, which will aid in ongoing prosecutions. The success of Operation Contender 3.0 is expected to disrupt major scam networks and serve as a deterrent to similar criminal enterprises. Interpol continues to warn the public about the tactics used by romance scammers, including the use of military personas and requests for money under false pretenses. The operation marks a significant step in addressing the growing threat of online romance and sextortion scams targeting vulnerable individuals worldwide.
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The operation resulted in the arrest of 260 suspects linked to romance scam and sextortion activity across participating African countries. The arrests marked the main enforcement outcome publicly highlighted by Interpol and subsequent reporting.
Interpol coordinated Operation Contender 3 with law enforcement agencies in seven African countries to target cross-border romance fraud and sextortion networks. The operation focused on identifying suspects, victims, and criminal infrastructure tied to financially motivated online scams.
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Law enforcement agencies across 19 African countries, coordinated by INTERPOL under Operation Sentinel, arrested 574 suspects and recovered approximately $3 million in a sweeping crackdown on cybercrime. The month-long operation targeted business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and ransomware, resulting in the takedown of over 6,000 malicious links and the decryption of six ransomware variants. Notable incidents included the prevention of a $7.9 million BEC fraud at a Senegalese petroleum company, a ransomware attack on a Ghanaian financial institution that encrypted 100 terabytes of data, and the dismantling of a cross-border scam in Ghana and Nigeria that defrauded over 200 victims. Authorities also seized more than 100 digital devices, took down 30 servers, and shut down thousands of scam-linked social media accounts, with total financial losses from investigated cases exceeding $21 million. The operation highlighted the increasing scale and sophistication of cyberattacks targeting critical sectors such as finance and energy across Africa. International cooperation and rapid response were key to the operation's success, with support from private sector partners including Team Cymru, The Shadowserver Foundation, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security. The results demonstrate a strong commitment by African law enforcement and their international partners to combat cybercrime and protect digital infrastructure in the region.
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