An international cybercrime crackdown has seen 260 suspects arrested across 14 African countries, with Ghana emerging as a key contributor after detaining 68 individuals and seizing hundreds of electronic devices.

The operation, codenamed Contender 3.0, was coordinated by INTERPOL between July 28 and August 11, 2025, and focused on dismantling syndicates behind romance scams and sextortion schemes.

These scams have defrauded more than 1,400 people worldwide, with losses estimated at $2.8 million.

Investigators traced IP addresses, online domains, and fake social media profiles used to lure victims. Raids across the continent resulted in the confiscation of 1,235 devices, forged documents, SIM cards, and the dismantling of 81 cybercrime infrastructures.

Ghana alone accounted for 835 devices seized, 108 victims identified, and $450,000 in exposed financial losses. Police confirmed that $70,000 of those losses have already been recovered.

“The suspects relied on fake identities and stolen photos to trick their victims into sending money. Others secretly recorded explicit online conversations and later extorted payments under threat of exposure,” INTERPOL revealed.

Cyril Gout, INTERPOL’s Acting Executive Director of Police Services, warned that such crimes are escalating. “Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a surge in romance scams and sextortion.

These crimes not only inflict financial damage but also cause deep psychological harm,” he said, crediting joint efforts with private-sector partners like Group-IB and Trend Micro for the successful takedowns.

Across Africa, the operation exposed diverse tactics. In Senegal, 22 people were arrested for impersonating celebrities to defraud 120 victims of about $34,000.

In Côte d’Ivoire, authorities disrupted a major sextortion network that targeted over 800 victims, while Angola arrested eight suspects who used fake documents and online identities to scam their targets.

With arrests and investigations ongoing, INTERPOL has pledged to continue strengthening cooperation among African law enforcement agencies to tackle the continent’s growing cybercrime threat.