Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, arrested over 1,000 individuals in Africa this month in connection to a widespread cybercrime operation, the agency said.
The Cybercrime Operation
Operation Serengeti, a collaborative effort between Interpol and Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, spanned 19 African nations from September 2 to October 31. The initiative targeted cybercriminals involved in ransomware attacks, business email compromise schemes, digital extortion and online scams, according to a statement from Interpol.
In total, Interpol arrested 1,006 suspects during the operation.
“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern,” Valdecy Urquiza, the Secretary General of Interpol, said in the statement.
Interpol identified 35,000 victims connected to cases accounting for nearly $193 million in global financial losses. The agency credited the operation’s success to the involvement of local police forces and private sector partners, including internet service providers.