Interpol Says 260 Suspects in Online Romance Scams Have Been Arrested in Africa

According to Interpol, 260 people suspected of online romance and extortion scams were arrested across 14 African countries in a July–August operation. The network targeted more than 1,400 victims who together lost nearly $2.8 million, the international police organisation said. Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects, who allegedly used fake identities to coerce victims into paying fake shipment fees and to blackmail with secretly recorded videos.

In Senegal, police arrested 22 suspects who allegedly posed as celebrities to scam over 100 people for about $34,000, and Ivory Coast authorities arrested 24 suspects using fake profiles to obtain and blackmail victims with intimate images. The report surfaced in SecurityWeek, with the article dated 26 September 2025.