Interpol, representing 196 member countries, coordinated a major operation against online romance and extortion scams across Africa.
Authorities arrested 260 suspects in 14 countries during July and August.
The perpetrators built fake romantic connections to steal money or blackmail victims with explicit images.
Investigators identified over 1,400 victims who lost nearly $2.8 million (€2.4 million) in total.
Criminal Networks Exploit Online Platforms
Interpol reported Ghanaian police arrested 68 suspects for using fake identities to demand shipping fees and secretly record explicit videos.
Senegalese authorities captured 22 suspects who impersonated celebrities to defraud over 100 people of roughly $34,000 (€29,135).
Côte d’Ivoire police detained 24 suspects who created fake profiles to acquire and blackmail victims with private images.
Cyril Gout, Interpol’s acting executive director of police services, said digital growth fuels new opportunities for criminal networks.
He added cyber-enabled crimes cause severe financial losses and psychological trauma to victims.
Interpol Coordinates Global Police Efforts
Interpol, headquartered in Lyon, helps national police communicate and track criminals across counterterrorism, financial crime, cybercrime, and child exploitation.
The organisation faces growing caseloads of cybercrime and online child abuse while member nations increasingly differ in priorities.
Interpol emphasises international cooperation as key to dismantling digital crime networks and protecting vulnerable populations worldwide.
