India Partners With US, Global Agencies To Take Down Online Fraud Hubs In West Africa

WASHINGTON, DC-An international operation involving law enforcement agencies from the United States, India and several other countries has disrupted major online fraud networks operating in West Africa, resulting in 28 arrests, the removal of more than 3.7 million fraudulent social media accounts and the identification of 117 suspected human trafficking victims, the US Justice Department announced on October 13.

The operation also identified more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds and generated intelligence on more than 30 suspected scam centers.

The week-long crackdown, which began on October 6, brought together authorities from the US, Britain, India, Canada, Australia, Nigeria and Ghana, along with international police organizations and technology companies. The Justice Department described it as the first coordinated international operation specifically targeting West African scam networks.

The operation targeted criminal groups involved in cryptocurrency investment fraud, impersonation schemes, digital arrest extortion and other online scams affecting victims in the US, Britain and elsewhere.

In Ghana, authorities arrested 19 suspects in Sasaabi, near Accra, and seized 303 electronic devices. They also identified 117 suspected human trafficking victims awaiting repatriation to Nigeria. Investigators identified another 89 fraud victims who had suffered estimated losses of $8.3 million.

In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine suspects and seized 53 electronic devices during the operation.

The crackdown was coordinated through an international Joint Disruption Week hosted by Britain’s National Crime Agency in London. India was among the participating countries, although the Justice Department did not specify the role played by Indian investigators or whether any arrests were made in India.

Technology and financial companies, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, OpenAI, Binance, Coinbase, Chainalysis and Starlink, also participated. According to the Justice Department, the companies voluntarily removed fraudulent accounts, pages and groups from their platforms and shared intelligence with law enforcement. They also helped identify suspected scam centers and trace cryptocurrency linked to criminal operations.

Jeanine Ferris Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia and founder of the Scam Center Strike Force, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation against cross-border fraud. She said she had partnered with Britain’s National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service for England and Wales to advance cases on both sides of the Atlantic.

FBI Director Kash Patel credited cooperation between the Justice Department and private companies with helping authorities arrest suspects, seize hundreds of devices and identify more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds. (IANS)