Overview

• The July–August Operation Contender 3.0 identified 1,463 victims with estimated losses near $2.8 million, roughly €2.4 million.
• Police in Ghana made 68 arrests, Côte d’Ivoire reported 24, and a network in Senegal was taken down with 22 arrests.
• Investigators say offenders used fake profiles or stolen identities to cultivate online relationships and extract money.
• Sextortion cases involved secretly recording intimate video chats and demanding payment to block public release.
• Interpol reports ongoing national probes as specialized units note a sharp rise in these platform-enabled crimes.