Law enforcement agencies across 16 African countries have successfully made 651 arrests and recovered over USD 4.3 million in an international operation targeting online scams. Operation Red Card 2.0, conducted from 8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026, focused on high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications.
The eight-week operation uncovered scams linked to more than USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, primarily from Africa, but also from other regions worldwide. Authorities seized 2,341 devices, dismantled 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers, and disrupted other related infrastructure. INTERPOL supported the operation by sharing critical intelligence, facilitating real-time information exchange, and providing capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools.
In Cote d'Ivoire, law enforcement targeted mobile loan fraud, seizing 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops, and over 300 SIM cards. Scammers had targeted vulnerable populations through deceptive mobile applications and messaging platforms, offering quick, unsecured loans only to impose abusive fees and harvest sensitive data.
