Justice Department Reports Arrests, Account Removals in West Africa Scam Crackdown

An international "Joint Disruption Week" targeting online scam networks operating from West Africa resulted in 28 arrests and the removal of more than 3.7 million fraudulent social media accounts, Pages and Groups, the Justice Department said on Oct. 13, 2026.

According to the department, the effort took place during the week beginning Oct. 6 and was hosted by the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency in London. Participants included the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Treasury Department, the Scam Center Strike Force, INTERPOL, and law enforcement from Ghana, Nigeria, Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand. Technology companies including Meta, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase and Binance also took part.

The department said authorities in Ghana arrested 19 people near Accra, seized 303 electronic devices and identified 117 human trafficking victims pending repatriation to Nigeria. Another 89 scam victims were identified with approximate losses of $8.3 million. In Nigeria, nine people were arrested and 53 devices seized.

Private sector partners reported sharing leads on more than 30 suspected scam centers and identifying over $11 million in potentially freezable funds, according to the department. The targeted schemes allegedly included law enforcement impersonation, digital "arrest" extortion and cryptocurrency investment fraud.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/102