More than 1,000 people suspected of cybercrimes were arrested in 19 African countries between September and October, Interpol announced Tuesday.Operation Serengeti - led by Interpol and Afripol, the African Union's policing organisation - targeted people suspected of cybercrimes, including those using ransomware, digital extortion, online scams and phishing schemes.More than 35,000 victims were identified, with cases linked to nearly $193 million in financial losses worldwide, Interpol said.The 'Operation Serengeti', which started on September 2 to October 31 targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion and online scams - all identified as prominent threats in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.More than 35,000 victims were identified during the operation, with cases linked to nearly USD 193 million in financial losses worldwide.The 19 African countries in the operation were Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, ZimbabweInformation provided by participating countries of ongoing cases with INTERPOL fed into 65 Cyber Analytical Reports that were produced to ensure actions on the ground were intelligence-led and focused on the most significant actors.Private sector partners, including Internet Service Providers, also played a vital role by sharing intelligence, supporting analysis and disrupting criminal activities.
They provided on-site support and offered round-the-clock remote assistance to patch vulnerabilities and secure critical infrastructure for the participating member countries.Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said:"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."Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain.
We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide."Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL's Executive Director said: "Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States.
We've facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends.