Cybercrime has become a pervasive and insidious threat to our daily lives, affecting individuals, businesses, and societies as a whole. The consequences of cyber crime are far-reaching, impacting daily activity in various ways.
According to the statement by INTERPOL, the network which utilized 134,089 malicious infrastructures, stole over $190 million from 35,224 victims worldwide. The networks have been successfully dismantled as a result of a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL.
The operation, codenamed Operation Serengeti, ran from September 2 to October 31, 2024, focusing on criminals involved in ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and online scams—key threats highlighted in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
The INTERPOL report revealed that $43,954,537 was recovered during the raid, which was carried out with the close support of private sector partners, including Internet Service Providers. These partners played crucial roles by sharing intelligence, aiding in analysis, and disrupting criminal activity.
“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.” INTERPOL’s Secretary General, Valdecy Urquiza, said
Also speaking, AFRIPOL’s Executive Director, Ambassador Jalel Chelba, said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends.”
The national case studies across the continent include;
Kenya
A case of online credit card fraud linked to losses of $8.6 million was cracked in the East African country. The stolen funds were redistributed by the group via SWIFT to companies in the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and China.
Senegal
Authorities arrested eight people, including five Chinese nationals for a $6 million online Ponzi scheme affecting 1,811 victims. A search of their apartment uncovered over 900 SIM cards, $11,000 in cash, phones, laptops, and copies of victims’ ID cards.
Nigeria
A fraudster who made upwards of $300,000 by luring victims through messaging platforms with false promises of cryptocurrency returns was arrested.
Cameroon.
Authorities arrested a group who pocketed at least $150,000 in fees after trafficking victims from seven different countries to run a fake multi-level marketing scheme. The victims were held captive after paying a “membership fee”
Angola
Investigators in Angola dismantled an international criminal group running a virtual casino in Luanda. The group, which primarily targeted Brazilian and Nigerian gamblers, defrauded hundreds through its online platform.
Operation Serengeti was carried out with funding of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Council of Europe.
