INTERPOL Red Card 2.0 Nets 651 Cybercrime Arrests

Financial services and individuals across Africa gain relief from Operation Red Card 2.0, a coordinated crackdown dismantling cyber fraud networks that siphon funds through deceptive schemes. Spanning December 2025 to January 2026, the effort exposed losses exceeding $45 million and identified 1,247 victims, many local but extending globally. Participating nations disrupted operations threatening economic stability and personal savings integrity.

Scope of Operation Red Card 2.0

The AFJOC-backed initiative united Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe against high-yield investment fraud, mobile money scams, and bogus loan apps. INTERPOL facilitated intelligence sharing, real-time coordination, and forensic training, yielding 651 arrests, 2,341 device seizures, and takedowns of 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers.

These actions restored partial availability to compromised financial channels while safeguarding confidentiality of victim data. Transnational syndicates faced dismantled infrastructures, curtailing their operational reach.

Nigerian High-Yield Investment Dismantling

Authorities in Nigeria targeted recruitment rings luring youth into phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and cryptocurrency cons, shutting over 1,000 fake social media profiles. A separate telecom breach ring of six exploited staff credentials to divert airtime and data for black-market sales, compromising service integrity for legitimate subscribers.

These disruptions highlight vulnerabilities in digital finance onboarding, where false promises erode trust and availability.

Kenyan Messaging App Investment Fraud

Kenyan police apprehended 27 perpetrators using messaging platforms and social media with fabricated testimonials and dashboards to lure investments with unrealistic returns. Victims encountered blocked withdrawals after initial deposits, suffering direct financial integrity breaches.

The scheme exemplifies social engineering risks amplifying across communication vectors, threatening broader economic participation.

Côte d’Ivoire Mobile Loan Predation

In Côte d’Ivoire, 58 arrests accompanied seizures of 240 phones, 25 laptops, and 300 SIMs from operators deploying fake apps and messages promising unsecured loans. Tactics included excessive fees, aggressive collections, and data theft, ensnaring vulnerable users in debt cycles.

This operation preserved confidentiality of personal financial details while restoring access to legitimate lending ecosystems.

Broader Impacts and Predecessor Context

Investigations tied disruptions to scams inflicting $45 million losses, with recoveries reaching $4.3 million returned to ecosystems. INTERPOL Cybercrime Directorate head Neal Jetton emphasized cross-border cooperation’s role in countering syndicates’ community-wide harm.

Operation Red Card 2.0 doubles prior efforts, following 306 arrests and 1,842 seizures in the November 2024-February 2025 phase across seven nations. Continental cybercrime operations build momentum against evolving fraud tactics. Partners like Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security bolstered intelligence.

The table below outlines Operation Red Card 2.0 outcomes by category.

This table quantifies key enforcement results from the multinational effort.

Operation Red Card 2.0 underscores law enforcement’s capacity to reclaim financial flows and infrastructure from cyber syndicates, enhancing regional integrity and availability. Victim support channels through authorities aid recovery, while seized assets deter reinvestment in crime. Sustained collaboration fortifies defenses against persistent threats.