
26/09/2025
Interpol: 68 Ghanaians among 260 arrested across Africa for online scams
Interpol has arrested 260 people across 14 African countries in a coordinated crackdown on online romance and extortion scams that defrauded more than 1,400 victims of nearly $2.8 million.
According to a report by DW Africa, the large-scale operation highlights the growing threat of digital fraud targeting vulnerable individuals worldwide.
Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 individuals, seized 835 devices, and identified 108 victims. Their investigations revealed USD 450,000 in financial losses, with USD 70,000 recovered. For romance scams, the suspects had used fake profiles, forged identities, and stolen images to deceive victims.
The scammers extracted payments using a range of schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees. In sextortion cases, offenders secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats and used them for blackmail.
The agency has pledged to intensify international cooperation and intelligence sharing to dismantle criminal networks behind these scams.