A Nigerian cybercrime investigation has uncovered an email fraud operation with about 2.1 million email addresses, as INTERPOL announced the arrest of a suspect during a multinational crackdown on online crime.
Investigators found that the operation had harvested software credentials and was linked to phishing and business email compromise, a form of fraud in which criminals impersonate legitimate individuals or organisations to deceive victims.
A luxury vehicle suspected to have been bought with proceeds from criminal activity was also recovered. INTERPOL did not identify the suspect or disclose the victims and financial losses specifically linked to the Nigerian investigation.
The case formed part of Operation Serengeti III, which ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026, and involved law enforcement agencies from 21 countries.
INTERPOL said the operation resulted in 1,462 arrests, the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks and the recovery of more than $105m in illicit funds.
Authorities also identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal networks, while financial investigations linked the criminal activities under scrutiny to losses exceeding $385m.
Before the operation, investigators from 20 African countries and the United States received intelligence on suspicious domains, internet protocol addresses and infrastructure suspected of supporting criminal activities.
Private-sector partners provided technical analysis and intelligence to help law enforcement agencies identify suspects, map criminal networks and support investigations.
INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said international cooperation remained vital to tackling criminal networks that operate across national borders.
“While cybercrime is increasingly borderless, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks, recovering criminal assets and protecting communities from digital harm,” Jetton said.
The crackdown also led to major arrests and seizures elsewhere in Africa.
In Uganda, authorities dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals allegedly linked to online investment and pension scams targeting victims across Asia. Investigators uncovered a call-centre operation that used scripted communications, fake trading platforms and fraudulent websites to deceive pensioners.
In Angola, nine suspects were arrested after authorities dismantled two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres. More than 2,000 mining devices and six illegal power transformation stations were seized, with the electrical infrastructure valued at over $1m.
Other investigations targeted a malicious mobile loan application scheme in Tanzania, a vehicle import fraud network operating through social media in Gabon, and a cybercrime operation in the Republic of Congo, where 30 suspects were arrested.
INTERPOL said investigations arising from the operation remained ongoing, with authorities working to identify more suspects, trace illicit funds and analyse seized digital evidence.
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