By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Ghana emerged as the leading contributor to a massive Interpol-coordinated cybercrime operation that netted 260 suspected scammers across 14 African countries, with Ghanaian authorities accounting for 68 arrests and the seizure of 835 electronic devices.
The continental crackdown, dubbed Operation Contender 3.0, ran from July 28 to August 11, 2025, targeting transnational criminal networks exploiting social media and dating platforms to orchestrate romance scams and sextortion schemes that defrauded over 1,463 victims of nearly $2.8 million.
Ghanaian investigators identified 108 victims and traced $450,000 in financial losses, successfully recovering $70,000 during the operation. Suspects had used fake profiles, forged identities and stolen images to deceive victims through sophisticated digital manipulation techniques.
Of the nations involved, Ghana “accounted for the largest haul” of the crackdown, demonstrating both the scale of cybercrime operations within the country and the effectiveness of local law enforcement collaboration with international partners.
The operation dismantled 81 cybercrime infrastructures across the continent, with investigators using IP addresses, social media profiles, and digital networks to track suspects. Police seized more than 1,200 electronic devices, including USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents.
Significant arrests were recorded across multiple countries. In Senegal, 22 suspects were arrested for creating fake celebrity personas to defraud over 120 victims of about $34,000. Côte d’Ivoire dismantled a sextortion network involving 809 victims, arresting 24 suspects and seizing 29 devices. Angola arrested eight suspects who had targeted 28 victims through forged identities.
The scale of Ghana’s involvement reflects the country’s position as both a hub for cybercrime operations and a testing ground for international enforcement cooperation. Local authorities worked closely with Interpol to identify victims, trace financial flows, and gather digital evidence crucial for prosecutions.
Romance scams have become particularly sophisticated in recent years, with criminals creating elaborate fake personas on dating platforms and social media to build emotional relationships with victims before requesting money. These schemes often span months, causing both financial and psychological damage to targets.
Sextortion schemes represent another growing threat, where criminals obtain compromising images or videos and threaten to distribute them unless victims pay money. These crimes particularly affect young people and vulnerable individuals who may be reluctant to report incidents to authorities.
The transnational operation was strengthened by collaboration with private sector partners Group-IB and Trend Micro, resulting in enhanced data sharing and operational capabilities. This public-private partnership model has proven essential for tracking sophisticated cybercrime networks that exploit multiple platforms and jurisdictions.
Ghana’s leadership in the arrests reflects the country’s emerging role in both cybercrime activity and enforcement efforts. The nation has seen rapid growth in digital connectivity and mobile money services, creating opportunities for both legitimate business and criminal exploitation.
The timing of the operation coincides with increased international attention on African cybercrime networks. Earlier this year, Ghanaian nationals were extradited to the United States for roles in criminal organizations that stole more than $100 million through romance scams and other fraud schemes.
The exchange of Interpol cyber activity reports facilitated swift enforcement actions from participating countries, underscoring the value of international cooperation in combating cybercrime. This intelligence-sharing model has become crucial as criminal networks increasingly operate across multiple borders.
Digital fraud schemes have expanded rapidly across Africa, fueled by increased internet penetration, mobile money adoption, and social media usage. Criminals exploit these platforms to target vulnerable individuals both locally and internationally, often focusing on wealthy countries where potential victims have greater financial resources.
The psychological manipulation involved in romance scams makes them particularly damaging. Victims often experience shame and embarrassment, leading to underreporting of incidents and allowing criminal networks to operate with reduced detection risk.
Law enforcement agencies across Africa have been strengthening their cybercrime capabilities, with Ghana emerging as a regional leader in digital forensics and international cooperation. The country’s success in Operation Contender 3.0 demonstrates the effectiveness of these investments.
The operation’s success highlights the evolving nature of cybercrime enforcement, where traditional boundaries between local and international crimes have blurred. Criminals operating from Ghana can target victims in Europe or North America, requiring coordinated international responses.
Authorities emphasize the need for continued collaboration between law enforcement agencies, private sector partners, and international organizations. Interpol said it was committed to “disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online”.
The arrests represent only the beginning of a longer process involving digital forensics, victim identification, and prosecution efforts. Ghana’s judicial system will play a crucial role in ensuring successful prosecutions that can serve as deterrents for future cybercrime activities.
Education and awareness campaigns remain critical for preventing cybercrime victimization. Many targets of romance scams and sextortion schemes lack awareness of common manipulation techniques used by criminals to exploit emotional vulnerabilities.
As digital platforms continue expanding across Africa, the balance between enabling economic growth and preventing criminal exploitation remains a central challenge for policymakers and law enforcement agencies throughout the continent.
