Interpol Busts Crypto Scams Across Africa: Over 1,200 Arrested, Nearly $100 Million Seized

A sweeping Interpol-led operation, dubbed “Serengeti 2.0,” has culminated in the arrest of 1,209 individuals across 18 African nations and the confiscation of nearly $97.4 million in fraudulent gains and illegal mining equipment.

Between June and August 2025, Interpol coordinated with 18 African countries and the United Kingdom to dismantle expansive cybercrime networks, including ransomware, business email compromise, and crypto‑related fraud, impacting almost 88,000 victims.

Key Highlights of the Operation

• Angola: Authorities dismantled 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining sites run by 60 Chinese nationals. They seized over $37 million worth of mining and IT gear along with 45 illicit power stations—assets now earmarked to support vulnerable power grids.
• Zambia: One of the continent’s largest crypto investment scams was crushed. Some 65,000 victims lost an estimated $300 million. Fifteen suspects were detained, and investigators collected critical evidence including domains, phone numbers, and bank account data. During the raid, officials also uncovered a suspected human trafficking ring and seized 372 forged passports.
• Ivory Coast: A transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany was exposed. Criminals duped victims into paying fees to claim nonexistent estates. The lead suspect was arrested, and law enforcement seized cash, electronics, vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; total losses were estimated at $1.6 million.

Strategic Collaboration and Prevention Initiatives

Operation Serengeti 2.0 relied on extensive intelligence sharing with private-sector partners, who supplied data on suspicious domains, IPs, and command-and-control servers. Investigators also received training in crypto tracking, ransomware forensics, and open-source intelligence analysis.

A new collaboration with the International Cyber Offender Prevention Network—backed by 36 countries and financed by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office—aims to build early threat detection systems in the future. This effort involved partners like Group‑IB, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Fortinet.