Major cybercrime operation nets 1006 suspects
pLYON France Authorities across 19 African countries have arrested 1006 suspects and dismantled 134089 malicious infrastructures and networks thanks to a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL against cybercrimeppOperation Serengeti 2 September 31 October targeted criminals behind ransomware business email compromise BEC digital extortion and online scams all identified as prominent threats in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment ReportppMore than 35000 victims were identified during the operation with cases linked to nearly USD 193 million in financial losses worldwideppInformation provided by participating countries of ongoing cases with INTERPOL fed into 65 Cyber Analytical Reports that were produced to ensure actions on the ground were intelligenceled and focused on the most significant actorsppPrivate sector partners including Internet Service Providers also played a vital role by sharing intelligence supporting analysis and disrupting criminal activities They provided onsite support and offered roundtheclock remote assistance to patch vulnerabilities and secure critical infrastructure for the participating member countriesppValdecy Urquiza Secretary General of INTERPOL saidppFrom multilevel marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concernppOperation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwideppAmbassador Jalel Chelba AFRIPOLs Executive Director saidppThrough Serengeti AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States Weve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends Our focus now includes emerging threats like AIdriven malware and advanced attack techniquesppIn Kenya officers cracked a case of online credit card fraud linked to losses of USD 86 million The funds stolen through fraudulent scripts run after altering the banking systems security protocol were promptly redistributed by the group via SWIFT to companies in the United Arab Emirates Nigeria and China and subsequently to digital asset institutions offering trading and financial services regulated in multiple jurisdictions Nearly two dozen arrests have been made so farppEight people including five Chinese nationals were arrested in Senegal for a USD 6 million online Ponzi scheme affecting 1811 victims A search of their apartment uncovered over 900 SIM cards USD 11000 in cash phones laptops and copies of victims ID cardsppNigerian authorities arrested a man accused of running online investment scams He is believed to have made upwards of USD 300000 by luring victims through messaging platforms with false promises of cryptocurrency returnsppIn Cameroon authorities arrested a group suspected of trafficking victims from seven different countries to run a multilevel marketing scam After paying a membership fee victims were promised employment opportunities or training but once in Cameroon they were held captive and obliged to lure others into the scheme to gain their freedom Initial estimates show that the group had already pocketed at least USD 150000 in feesppAngolan investigators 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 offering a percentage of winnings to members who recruited new subscribers Some 150 arrests were made with officers seizing 200 computers and more than 100 mobile phonesppOperation Serengeti was carried out with funding of the UKs Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office the German Federal Foreign Office and the Council of EuropeppNotes to editorsppParticipating countriesppAlgeria Angola Benin Cameroon Côte dIvoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Gabon Ghana Kenya Mauritius Mozambique Nigeria Rwanda Senegal South Africa Tanzania Tunisia Zambia ZimbabweppOperational partnersppCybercrime Atlas Fortinet GroupIB Kaspersky Team Cymru Trend Micro Uppsala Securityp
