Arrests in international operation targeting cybercriminals in West Africa

Eight individuals have been arrested as part of an ongoing international crackdown on cybercrime, dealing a major blow to criminal operations in Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

The arrests were made as part of INTERPOL's Operation Contender 2.0, an initiative aimed at combating cyber-enabled crimes, primarily in West Africa, through enhanced international intelligence sharing.

Phishing scam targets Swiss citizens

In Côte d'Ivoire authorities dismantled a large-scale phishing scam, thanks to a collaborative effort with Swiss police and INTERPOL.

The scam, which resulted in reported financial losses of over USD 1.4 million, involved perpetrators who posed as buyers on small advertising websites. The fraudsters used QR codes to direct victims to fraudulent websites that mimicked a legitimate payment platform where victims would unwittingly enter personal information such as their log in details or card number. They also impersonated the platform's customer service agents over the phone to further deceive victims.

Swiss authorities received over 260 reports regarding the scam between August 2023 and April 2024, which prompted an investigation that traced the suspects back to Côte d'Ivoire.

With coordination and intelligence from INTERPOL, the Ivorian Cyber Unit led the investigation, locating and arresting the main suspect, who confessed to the offence and to making financial gains of over USD 1.9 million.

The arrest also led to the seizure of digital devices, which are currently undergoing forensic analysis. Five other individuals were found to be conducting cybercriminal activities at the same location, increasing the scope of the operation.

The investigation is still ongoing, with Ivorian investigators working to identify additional victims, recover stolen funds, and trace goods purchased with illicit proceeds.

An international campaign against romance cyber fraud

The Contender 2.0 operation is the latest wave of ongoing action coordinated by INTERPOL's African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC). The initiative was launched in 2021 in response to intelligence from authorities and private partners on the activities of cybercriminal syndicates operating within the African region, particularly in West Africa.

The project targets a variety of cyber threats, including business email compromise schemes, a type of phishing attack in which criminals exploit trust to deceive senior executives into transferring funds or divulging sensitive information.

Another key AFJOC objective is romance scams and other financial grooming crimes which often involve cryptocurrencies or other digital assets. Romance scams refer to criminals creating fake online identities to develop romantic or close relationships with their victims, ultimately to manipulate or steal money from them.

In one recent example, authorities in Finland alerted the Nigerian Police Force via INTERPOL that a victim had been scammed out of a substantial amount of money. Leveraging its private sector partners, including Trend Micro and Group-IB, INTERPOL's AFJOC was able to provide detailed information to the Nigerian authorities. This intelligence was instrumental in guiding investigative efforts, and local police arrested the suspect on 27 April 2024, along with an accomplice. The investigation revealed the offender's involvement in similar scams and uncovered links to other potential victims.

Neal Jetton, Director of the Cybercrime Directorate said:

"Leveraging the increased reliance on technology in every aspect of our daily lives, cybercriminals are employing a range of techniques to steal data and execute fraudulent activities. These recent successful collaborations, under the umbrella of Operation Contender 2.0, demonstrate the importance of continued international cooperation in combating cybercrime and bringing perpetrators to justice."

The AFJOC project is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.