A major international crackdown on cybercrime in Africa has resulted in the arrest of 306 suspects. And the seizure of nearly 2,000 devices used in online scams. Dubbed Operation Red Card, the coordinated effort involved Interpol, law enforcement agencies from seven African countries, and three cybersecurity firms.
Authorities from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia joined forces to target cybercriminal networks responsible for defrauding over 5,000 victims. In Nigeria alone, 130 individuals, including 113 foreign nationals, were arrested for online fraud and investment scams. Some of those detained were also suspected victims of human trafficking, forced into cybercriminal activity, according to Interpol.
The operation uncovered sophisticated schemes, including a SIM box fraud ring in South Africa. Police arrested 40 individuals and confiscated 1,000 SIM cards used to spoof phone calls and execute large-scale phishing attacks.
Cybersecurity firms Group-IB, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro played a critical role in analyzing threat data and assisting law enforcement in gathering evidence. Neal Jetton, Interpol’s Cybercrime Directorate director, highlighted the success of private-public collaboration.
“Operation Red Card proves the power of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime. These arrests and asset recoveries send a clear message — cybercriminals will be held accountable,” Jetton said.
As African nations embrace digital transformation, financial cybercrime has surged. Mobile banking fraud, social engineering scams, SIM swapping, and investment fraud now rank among the most common attacks.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded over 1,000 cyber fraud arrests, cementing its status as a hotspot for cybercriminal activity. Meanwhile, South Africa faced escalating ransomware threats, including an attack on the country’s national laboratory services.
“Cybercrime in Africa is evolving fast, with scammers targeting both individuals and businesses,” said Gladys Yiadom, Senior Public Affairs Manager for Kaspersky Europe. “Financial scams, especially those exploiting mobile banking, create huge losses and affect large populations.”
One alarming trend is the growing use of AI tools like ChatGPT by cybercriminals. These tools help attackers refine their scams, eliminate grammatical errors, and translate messages into multiple languages — making phishing campaigns more convincing and harder to detect.
“AI significantly lowers the barriers to entry for cybercrime,” explained David Sancho, Senior Threat Researcher at Trend Micro. “It makes scams more effective and professional, driving the recent spike in social engineering attacks across Africa.”
Throughout Operation Red Card, cybersecurity vendors provided invaluable intelligence. Trend Micro assisted in exposing a loan app scam, tracing phone numbers, email addresses, and identifying the Android applications used by criminals.
“With the data shared by Interpol, we tracked down the social media accounts and technical infrastructure behind the scam,” said Joshua Ignacio, Senior Researcher at Trend Micro.
Trend Micro also supported Operation Killer Bee, helping Interpol arrest three Nigerians involved in a business email compromise (BEC) campaign by analyzing malware and tracing the attackers.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky contributed threat intelligence, including the analysis of a malicious Android app targeting African users. The company recently signed a five-year agreement with Afripol to strengthen cyber defense collaboration across the continent.
“Our expertise gives law enforcement the technical insights needed to track and apprehend cybercriminals,” Yiadom said. “Operations like Red Card prove that partnerships are crucial for disrupting these networks.”
A Growing Need for Cross-Border Cybersecurity Action – Interpol
Operation Red Card is part of Interpol’s African Joint Operation Against Cybercrime (AFJOC) — a British-funded initiative to boost cybersecurity in the region. With Africa’s rapid digitization, cybercrime remains a lucrative enterprise, continually attracting new players.
Interpol’s latest success sends a powerful message: cybercriminals, no matter how sophisticated, will face justice through coordinated global action.
