Operation Red Card 2.0 Leads to 651 Arrests in African Cyber-Fraud Crackdown
Summary
Team Cymru says it supported INTERPOL's Operation Red Card 2.0, a 16-country crackdown on online scams that led to 651 arrests, $4.3 million recovered, 2,341 devices seized and 1,442 malicious infrastructure items taken down.
Key points
- The operation ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026, with law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries targeting investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications.
- Authorities reported 651 arrests, $4.3 million recovered, 2,341 devices seized, and the takedown of 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, servers, and other infrastructure.
- Investigations exposed scams linked to more than $45 million in losses, according to the article.
- In Nigeria, authorities dismantled an investment-fraud ring using phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and fake digital-asset schemes, removing more than 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts.
- Team Cymru says its analysts used NetFlow analysis and proprietary datasets to identify additional infrastructure and activity tied to crypto-related scams.
- The operation also included arrests in Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire, and the arrest in Nigeria of six people linked to the infiltration of a major telecommunications provider’s internal platform.
Article Details
- Event Type
- International law-enforcement operation targeting cybercrime and online fraud
- Impact
- Operation Red Card 2.0 resulted in 651 arrests, the recovery of $4.3 million, and the seizure of 2,341 devices. Authorities took down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, servers, and other infrastructure. Investigations exposed scams linked to more than $45 million in losses.
Vendors
Countries
KenyaThe arrest of 27 individuals in Kenya linked to fraud schemes using messaging apps, social media, and fictitious testimonials to lure victims into making fake investments. NigeriaThe dismantling of a high-yield investment fraud ring in Nigeria using phishing, identity theft, social engineering, and fake digital asset investment schemes. The takedown involved the removal of over 1,000 fraudulent