Police in 20 African countries and the United States arrested 1,462 suspects and recovered more than $105 million in a cybercrime crackdown coordinated by Interpol, called Operation Serengeti III, Interpol said on 22 October 2026. The operation ran from 29 June to 31 August 2026 and took aim at scams that reach ordinary phones every day.
The short version
Operation Serengeti III, coordinated by Interpol, disrupted 10,909 malicious networks across 21 countries this summer. The scams it found are the same ones that land in messaging apps, inboxes and app stores.
- Police arrested 1,462 suspects and identified 65,929 victims between 29 June and 31 August 2026.
- Investigators recovered more than $105 million, about 27 cents for every dollar of the $385 million in losses linked to the cases.
- In Uganda, police arrested 365 foreign nationals running fake investment and pension schemes from call centres.
- In Nigeria, one arrest was tied to a phishing operation that gathered about 2.1 million email addresses, and another to a $2.4 million investment fraud promoted on messaging apps.
- Interpol has not said how or when victims will get money back.
In plain terms: these were not exotic hacks. They were fake trading platforms, fake loan apps, fake car sellers and emails pretending to be your boss or supplier. If you have ever had a stranger promise you double your money, you have met the business model.
Operation Serengeti by the numbers
- 1,462 suspects arrested
- 10,909 malicious networks disrupted
- 65,929 victims identified
- More than $105 million recovered
- More than $385 million in losses linked to the cases
- 21 countries taking part: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe
We did the math on Interpol’s figures. The money recovered is about 27% of the losses linked to the cases. Spread across the 65,929 victims identified, the linked losses come to roughly $5,840 per person on average. Some victims lost far more and many lost less, but it shows these were not small-change scams.
The scams police found, country by country
Interpol’s announcement gave these examples:
- Uganda: police broke up two fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals. The groups ran fake investment and pension schemes aimed at victims in Asia, using rotating call centres, scripted calls, fake trading platforms and fake websites to pressure pensioners.
- Nigeria: one suspect was arrested over a phishing and business email compromise operation that stole software logins and collected about 2.1 million email addresses. Police recovered a luxury car they believe was bought with the proceeds.
- Nigeria: a second suspect was arrested in an international investment fraud promoted through messaging apps. More than $2.4 million in suspected proceeds moved through the accounts, much of it laundered through cryptocurrency.
- Angola: investigators shut two illegal crypto mining centres, arrested nine people and seized more than 2,000 mining machines and six illegal power stations. The electrical equipment alone was worth over $1 million.
- Tanzania: police took down a malicious mobile loan app scheme.
- Gabon: police disrupted a vehicle import fraud network run through social media.
- Republic of Congo: 30 suspects were arrested.
Interpol’s director of cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said: “Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale.” Interpol also pointed to its African Cyber Threat Assessment Report 2026, which says AI is increasingly being used to commit cybercrime on the continent.
The warning signs Operation Serengeti scams leave behind
Each scam type in the operation has a tell you can spot before you pay:
- Fake investment platforms: guaranteed returns, a “manager” who messages you first, pressure to add more money, and withdrawals that always need one more fee. A real investment never guarantees profit.
- Business email compromise: an email from a boss or supplier asking you to pay a new account number, often in a hurry. Call the person on a number you already have before you send anything.
- Phishing: a login page that arrives by link instead of you typing the address yourself. If you think your email was caught up in a leak, check if your email was in a data breach.
- Fake loan apps: apps that ask for your contacts and photos and are not on the regulator’s approved list. In Nigeria, here is how to check if a loan app is approved by the FCCPC.
- Car import fraud on social media: a seller who wants a deposit before you see the car or any paperwork, and who goes quiet when you ask to visit.
What we don’t know yet
- The names of most suspects and the charges they face. Interpol did not release them.
- How and when the $105 million will reach victims.
- What happened in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. All three took part, but Interpol gave no case details for them.
If you think you lost money to one of these schemes, call your bank first, because the first hours matter most for freezing a transfer, then report it to the police cybercrime unit in your country. And if mobile money is how you get paid, take ten minutes to protect your account from SIM swap fraud.
