An INTERPOL-led operation, dubbed “Operation Crimson Card,” has resulted within the arrest of over 306 people suspected of involvement in numerous cyber crimes throughout seven African international locations.
This operation, carried out from November 2024 to February 2025, focused cell banking, funding, and messaging app scams, amongst others.
The collaborative effort concerned legislation enforcement businesses from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia.
Key Highlights of Operation Crimson Card
- Nigeria: The Nigerian police apprehended 130 people, together with 113 international nationals, for his or her alleged roles in cyber-enabled scams resembling on-line on line casino and funding fraud. These suspects transformed their illicit proceeds into digital property to evade detection.
- Zambia: Fourteen suspects have been arrested for being a part of a syndicate that used malicious hyperlinks to hack into victims’ telephones, getting access to banking apps by way of compromised messaging accounts.
- Rwanda: Authorities arrested 45 people for involvement in social engineering scams that defrauded victims of over USD 305,000 in 2024. Techniques included posing as telecom workers or impersonating relations searching for monetary help.
- South Africa: Native authorities arrested 40 people and seized over 1,000 SIM playing cards and several other desktops linked to a complicated SIM field fraud scheme. This setup is usually used to reroute worldwide calls as native ones for large-scale SMS phishing assaults.
Impression and Response
Operation Crimson Card was facilitated by means of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation towards Cybercrime (AFJOC) and was enriched by menace intelligence knowledge shared by Kaspersky. The operation resulted within the seizure of 1,842 gadgets.
Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, emphasised the operation’s success as an indication of worldwide cooperation in preventing cybercrime.
“The restoration of serious property and gadgets, in addition to the arrest of key suspects, sends a powerful message to cybercriminals that their actions is not going to go unpunished,” Jetton acknowledged.
This partnership goals to reinforce cyber security by sharing knowledge on native cyber threats and developments.
Operation Crimson Card underscores the effectiveness of worldwide cooperation in combating cybercrime.
As cyber threats proceed to evolve, collaborative efforts between private and non-private sectors are essential to making a extra resilient cyber surroundings.
With the restoration of property and the arrest of key suspects, this operation sends a transparent message to cybercriminals throughout the globe.
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