An international cybercrime operation, codenamed “Operation Red Card 2.0,” has led to 651 arrests and the recovery of more than $4.3 million, as part of an effort led by law enforcement authorities from 16 African countries.
The initiative took place between December 8, 2025, and January 30, 2026, according to INTERPOL. It targeted infrastructure and actors behind investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake mobile loan.
Countries participating in the law enforcement operation included Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The operation was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC).
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“ During the operation, investigations uncovered fraud linked to financial losses of over $45 million and identified 1,247 victims, mainly from the African continent but also from other regions of the world ,” INTERPOL said in a press release
The operation also saw authorities seize 2,341 devices and take down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains and servers, as well as other related infrastructure.
Some of the most important actions of the Red Card 2.0 operation
- Nigerian authorities have dismantled an investment scam that recruited young people to commit crimes online using phishing, identity theft, social engineering and fake investment schemes. Over 1,000 fake social media accounts have been taken down.
- Six members of a sophisticated cybercrime gang have been arrested by Nigerian authorities for breaching the internal platform of a major telecommunications provider through compromised staff login credentials. The scheme involved stealing significant amounts of airtime and data for illegal resale.
- Kenyan authorities have arrested 27 people in connection with a fraud scheme that used messaging apps, social media and fake testimonials to trick victims into making bogus investments by promising huge returns. Victims were shown fake account statements or dashboards but were prohibited from making any withdrawals.
- Ivory Coast authorities have arrested 58 people and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and over 300 SIM cards to disrupt a loan scamthat targeted vulnerable populations through apps mobile phone. The scams promised loans and then trapped victims with additional charges, abusive debt collection practices and the theft of sensitive personal and financial data.
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“These organized cybercrime gangs cause devastating financial and psychological damage to individuals, businesses and entire communities with their false promises,” said Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate.
“Operation Red Card highlights the importance of cooperation when tackling cross-border cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for assistance.“.
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The second phase of the operation, Red Card 2.0, comes almost a year after INTERPOL announced the arrest of 306 suspects and the seizure of 1,842 devices as part of the first wave of the operation, which took place between November 2024 and February 2025.
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