INTERPOL says its latest Africa-focused cybercrime crackdown, Operation Serengeti III, led to 1,462 arrests and recovered more than 105 million dollars in illicit funds. The operation, coordinated by INTERPOL from 29 June to 31 August 2026, brought together law enforcement from 21 countries, including 20 African nations and the United States. Police disrupted 10,909 malicious networks, identified 65,929 victims and linked criminal activity to losses exceeding 385 million dollars. The results were announced on 22 October.

Scams, ransomware and business email fraud

The targets included ransomware, online fraud, digital extortion and business email compromise, where criminals exploit trusted communications to redirect payments. In Uganda, authorities dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals linked to online investment and pension scams aimed at victims in Asia, using call centres, scripted pitches and fake trading platforms. In Angola, investigators shut two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres, arrested nine people and seized more than 2,000 mining devices and six illegal power stations, with the haul valued at over one million dollars.

Fraud proceeds traced through crypto

In Nigeria, one suspect was arrested over a phishing and business email compromise operation that harvested software credentials and about 2.1 million email addresses, while a separate investigation traced more than 2.4 million dollars in suspected investment fraud proceeds, much of it laundered through cryptocurrency transactions. INTERPOL's director of cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the operation showed that while cybercrime is borderless, international cooperation remains effective in disrupting networks and recovering assets. INTERPOL has not specified how much of the recovered money will reach victims, and several investigations remain active.