Overview
- Operation Contender 3.0 was coordinated across 14 African countries and focused on transnational groups exploiting digital platforms.
- Investigators identified 1,463 victims, mostly in Africa but also abroad, with total losses estimated at nearly $2.8 million.
- Authorities reported notable sextortion crackdowns with 68 arrests in Ghana and 24 in Côte d'Ivoire following secret recordings of intimate videos.
- Romance-fraud rings relied on fake profiles and stolen identities, including cases of celebrity impersonation such as a network dismantled in Senegal with 22 arrests.
- Specialized police units report a sharp rise in sextortion and romance scams, underscoring the growing scale of these cybercrimes.