In a coordinated international effort known as Operation Contender 3.0, authorities in 14 African countries arrested 260 suspects and seized 1,235 electronic devices to combat cyber‑enabled crime. The operation, which ran from 28 July to 11 August 2025, targeted transnational criminal networks that exploit digital platforms for romance scams and sextortion. In romance scams, perpetrators build online relationships to extract money from victims, while sextortion involves blackmailing victims with explicit images or videos.
During the crackdown, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructures, domains and social‑media profiles linked to the scam syndicates. Investigators uncovered 1,463 victims, whose combined losses were estimated at nearly $2.8 million. Collaboration with private‑sector partners enhanced data sharing and operational capabilities, allowing rapid enforcement actions across participating nations and underscoring the value of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime.
In Ghana, authorities arrested 68 individuals, seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims, whose financial losses totalled $450,000. Senegalese police arrested 22 suspects and dismantled a network that impersonated celebrities to defraud 120 victims of about $34,000. In Côte d’Ivoire, police broke up a cybercrime ring that created fake online profiles to manipulate vulnerable individuals into sharing intimate images.
The operation highlights the growing threat of cybercrime in Africa, where two‑thirds of surveyed member countries reported that cyber‑related offenses constitute a medium‑to‑high proportion of all crimes. Funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime project aims to counter this threat through international cooperation and coordination. Participating countries—including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso and others—demonstrated their commitment to disrupting and dismantling networks that prey on vulnerable individuals online. The success of Operation Contender 3.0 reinforces the importance of collaboration and information sharing in protecting victims across the continent.
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