The interpol bite operation through Africa sees 260 arrested for sextrusions and romantic scams

Some 260 alleged cyber-slices were arrested in a bite operation carried out in 14 African countries.

The operation, coordinated by Interpol and financed by the United Kingdom, targeted criminal networks using social media and digital platforms to extract victims money from romantic scams, and in what is called “sextorsoral”, in which the victims are changed using explicit images.

More than 1,400 victims across Ghana, Kenya, Angola and elsewhere have been identified, Interpol estimating their total losses at nearly $ 2.8 million (2.1 million pounds sterling).

The global police network said it was determined to “disturb and dismantle groups that attack vulnerable individuals online”.

During the repression which was carried out between July and August, the police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, areas and social media profiles linked to members of the scam unions.

These prospects and subsequent arrests have also led to the seizure of USB disks, SIM cards and forged documents, as well as taking 81 cybercrime groups across Africa, Interpol said.

“Cybercrime units across Africa report a sharp increase in digital crimes such as sextritions and romantic scams,” said Cyril Gout, acting director of Interpol police.

He said that the growth of online platforms had opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims “causing both financial loss and psychological damage”.

About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where the authorities seized 835 aircraft and identified 108 victims during the operation. Investigators recovered $ 70,000 against $ 450,000 in financial losses.

Ghana crooks have extracted payments using a range of diets, including false mail and customs shipping costs. They secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit cats and used them to make people sing.

In Senegal, the police arrested 22 suspects and discovered a network that usurped the identity of celebrities and used emotional manipulation on social networks and dating platforms to defraud 120 victims of around $ 34,000.

A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents and money transfer records were seized during the operation there.

And in Côte d’Ivoire, police arrested 24 suspects, seized 29 aircraft and identified 809 victims. The crooks used false profiles online to make the victims sing, demanding payments to prevent public exhibition.

Eight suspects were arrested in Angola where the authorities identified 28 national and international victims, mainly targeted via social media. The crooks used fraudulent documents to create false identities, facilitate financial transactions and hide their real identities while engaging the victims.

The other countries involved in the operation as part of the joint African operation against the cybercrime project are Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.