Interpol announced 260 arrests in 14 African countries this Friday as part of Operation Contender 3.0, a major crackdown on online romance scams and sextortion. Among the highlights, Senegal dismantled a network of 22 suspects who specialized in impersonating celebrities to trap vulnerable victims, illustrating the scale of these online frauds in West Africa.

Coordinated by Interpol, this two-week operation (July-August 2025) targeted two types of cybercrimes that are on the rise: romance scams, in which fake profiles maintain virtual relationships to extort money, and sextortion, involving blackmail with secretly recorded intimate videos. "Specialized police units in Africa are reporting a sharp increase in sexual blackmail and romance scams," said Interpol, which identified 1,463 victims, mostly African but also from around the world, for a total loss of nearly $2.8 million (approximately €2.4 million). In Senegal, the dismantling of a network of 22 suspects, accused of imitating celebrities to deceive their prey, was hailed as a major success.

These fraudsters used stolen identities to form emotional connections online and extract funds, a common method in romance scams. Interpol did not provide details on the Senegalese victims, but the operation resulted in the blocking of accounts and the seizure of computer equipment. Ghana set a record high with 68 arrests for sextortion, in which scammers surreptitiously recorded intimate videos during virtual chats to demand payments. Ivory Coast followed with 24 arrests for similar practices.

In total, 81 cybercriminal networks were dismantled in 14 countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. "By imitating celebrities," the International Criminal Police Organization quotes, without giving details, regarding a network in Senegal, dismantled with 22 arrests," Interpol specifies, highlighting the sophistication of these scams.

The operation made it possible to freeze funds and train police officers to counter this growing threat, fueled by the expansion of social networks and the vulnerability of isolated users.