Suspected scammers for Nigeria, Ghana chop arrest for joint operation across West Africa
Wia dis foto come from, US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Twenty-eight suspected scammers don chop arrest for one international operation wey target online scam networks for West Africa.
Di United States Department of Justice and di UK National Crime Agency for one joint operation dem do, tok say dem arrest 19 pipo for Ghana and nine for Nigeria.
Di agencies also say seize 356 electronic devices plus identify at least $11 million in potentially recoverable funds.
According to di agencies, dem don take down ova three million social media accounts wey dey linked to scam centres for di region.
Dem also secure di release of 117 pipo wey magomago pipo allegedly traffic to commit scam fraud for Ghana. Dem say dem go soon send dem back to Nigeria.
Wia dis foto come from, US Department of Justice/X
Investigators say di crackdown na di first co-ordinated operation wey focus specifically on West African fraud networks, and e involve di Nigeria Police Force, Ghana Cyber Security Authority and 15 technology companies, including Meta, Microsoft and Google.
Na afta dis operation Ghana authorities don repatriate 120 Nigerians.
Ghana communication minister Samuel George tok say dem bin dey process at least eight pipo for court.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
Oga George add say di many odas dey currently undergo processing to understand di roles dem bin play for di allege criminal activities.
"Dis operation bin dey reflect di govment commitment to deal wit cybercrime and to prevent Ghana from bicoming destination for criminal networks."
Im add say "Ghana under President John Mahama go remain unfavourable destination for cyber criminals."
FBI director Kash Patel say "di ogbonge partnership wit di US department of Justice, di private sector across multiple African kontris don lead to dis plenty arrest, seizure of plenty gadgets wey we identify at least $11m money wey we fit freeze and save lives."
"Dis na wetin dey happun when law enforcement do dia work wit precision across oda agencies. We don dey scata scam centres across di globe wey we dey crush di criminal industry wia bin dey take advantage of American citizens."
Wetin we know about dis operations
Wia dis foto come from, US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Ghana - For Sasaabi wey dey Accra, authorities gbab 19 pipo wey dem seize 303 electronic gadgets.
Dem also find say 117 victims of human trafficking and additional 89 victims of di scam wey bin lead to $8.3m loss. For di last week for September alone, authorities arrest many pipo for six places wey dem identify 34 trafficking victims togeda wit 129 seized electronic gadgets.
Di Ghana Police, National security, Cyber security authority bin work togeda wit support from di NCA, FBI and Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (NFCC).
Nigeria - For Nigeria, authorities in gbab nine pipo for di enforcement period wey dem seize 53 electronic devices. Dis schemes wey di operation target bin dey include impersonation scams, digital "arrest" extortion scams, cryptocurrency investment fraud and many odas online fraud operations wey bin dey target global victims.
According to di FBI Internet Crime Complaint Centre, pipo bin report 72,984 investment scams for 2025 alone - 72% of dis reports na cryptocurrency investment fraud.
Di reported loss from dis scams bin rise from $3.96bn for 2023 to $5.8bn for 2024.
According to di report, di loss of money from di investment scams wit cryptocurrency bin rise by 24% for 2025 to reach ova $7.2bn.
Dis figures na only pipo wey bin report to law enforcement, na so authorities believe say di actual losses fit be more especially as many victims neva report dia own cases.
According to one US govment report, e dey estimated say di annual value of money wey scammers don tiff worldwide bin dey approach $64bn as at di end of 2023.
