From July 28, 2025 to August 11, 2025, INTERPOL conducted a coordinated operation with authorities from 14 African countries to combat cyber-enabled romance scams and sextortion. The crackdown, dubbed “Operation Contender 3.0,” led to the arrests of 260 individuals who reportedly stole over $2.8 million from around 1,463 victims, as well as the seizure of thumb drives, SIM cards and forged documents, and the dismantling of 81 cybercriminal infrastructures.
Notable highlights from the operation include:
- Angolan authorities arresting 8 individuals for using fraudulent documents to create false identities, facilitate financial transactions and conceal their real identities whilst communicating with victims on social media.
- Ghanaian authorities arresting 68 individuals for using fake profiles, forged identities and stolen images to deceive victims and conduct payments with money mules and fake customs shipment fees. The scammers, in cases of sextortion, also secretly recorded intimate videos for blackmail.
- Senegalese authorities arresting 22 individuals who were part of a network that impersonated celebrities and used emotional manipulation tactics on social media and dating platforms.
- Ivory Coast authorities arresting 24 individuals who were part of a cybercrime ring that created fake profiles to manipulate vulnerable individuals into sharing intimate images for the purpose of blackmail.
Additional countries that participated in the operation are Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.