INTERPOL apprehends West African cybercrime group

Eight people were arrested as part of the international fight against cybercrime.

The International Police (INTERPOL) have once again dismantled a West African cybercrime gang, dealing a major blow to criminal operations in Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

This comes as international law enforcement partners with INTERPOL to combat the growing global problem of cybercrime.

INTERPOL announced yesterday that eight people had been arrested as part of an ongoing global operation against cybercrime.

The arrests were made as part of INTERPOL’s Operation Contender 2.0, which aims to combat cybercrime, primarily in West Africa, by improving international intelligence sharing.

Ivorian authorities have stopped a large-scale phishing fraud thanks to a coordinated operation with Swiss police and INTERPOL.

INTERPOL explained: “The scam, which resulted in financial losses of more than $1.4 million, involved perpetrators posing as buyers on small advertising websites.

“Fraudsters used QR codes to direct victims to fraudulent websites imitating a legitimate payment platform where victims unwittingly entered personal information such as their login details or card number.

“They also impersonated the platform’s customer service agents over the phone to further deceive victims.

“Swiss authorities received more than 260 reports regarding this scam between August 2023 and April 2024, leading to an investigation that traced the suspects to Ivory Coast.”

Additionally, the organization said: “With coordination and intelligence from INTERPOL, the Ivorian Cyber ​​Unit led the investigation, locating and arresting the main suspect, who confessed to the offense and carried out financial gains of more than $1.9 million. »

The arrest also resulted in the seizure of digital devices, which are currently the subject of forensic analysis. According to INTERPOL, five other people were engaged in cybercriminal activities at the same location, expanding the scope of the operation.

“The investigation is still ongoing and Ivorian investigators are working to identify other victims, recover stolen funds and trace goods purchased using illicit proceeds,” INTERPOL said.

The latest arrests coincide with a report from ESET, a global cybersecurity company, which released its Threat Report for the first half of 2024, providing new insights into the cyber threat landscape facing businesses and individuals in the whole world.

The report highlights several important trends and developments in cybersecurity. This includes the growing use of generative AI tools in cybercrime and the need for vigilance as cybercriminals use more dynamic and sophisticated methods against their targets.

The report reveals a range of sophisticated cyber threats across multiple regions, highlighting the global scale and urgency of today’s cybersecurity challenges.