Interpol arrests 1,462 suspects in a cybercrime crackdown across Africa

Illicit funds recovered

105 $ million

The operation recovered $105 million in illicit funds, Interpol said Thursday. The crimes were linked to more than $385 million in losses.

Police from 21 countries took part in Operation Serengeti III, from Jun 29 to Aug 31. They disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and identified nearly 66,000 victims.

Some of the cases

• Uganda: 365 arrested over investment scams
• Angola: 2,000+ crypto-mining devices seized
• Nigeria: phishing scheme with 2.1M emails
• Republic of Congo: 30 arrested

In Uganda, police arrested 365 foreign nationals over investment and pension scams aimed at victims in Asia, and in the Republic of Congo 30 suspects were arrested.

Interpol warns that criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to build more sophisticated schemes and reach more victims.