Interpol sting nets 260 cybercrime suspects in Africa

Some 260 people have been arrested in a continent-wide crackdown on cyber scams, Interpol has announced.

The sting operation, co-ordinated by the global policing body and backed by UK funding, spanned 14 African countries and targeted networks engaged in romance scams and “sextortion” schemes.

Authorities said criminal groups used social media and digital platforms to lure victims into fake relationships, later exploiting trust to demand money or blackmail them with explicit images.

“It doesn’t take long before you develop a connection with somebody… and very quickly this trust is shattered,” Interpol’s director of cybercrime, Neal Jetton, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

More than 1,400 victims were identified in countries including Ghana, Kenya, and Angola, with investigators warning that the true number may be far higher.

Interpol said the arrests highlight both the scale of online fraud in Africa and the need for stronger international cooperation to tackle cybercrime.