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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2024-11-26 19:15:41.326
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Over 1,000 arrested in massive ‘Serengeti’ anti-cybercrime operation. Law enforcement agencies in Africa arrested as part of 'Operation Serengeti' more than a thousand individuals suspected of being involved in major cybercriminal activities that caused close to $193 million in financial losses all over the world. The operation was coordinated by the Interpol and Afripol between September 2nd and October 31st and "targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion and online scams." In total, authorities in 19 African countries arrested 1,006 suspects and took down 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks, based on intelligence provided by operational partners Cybercrime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, and Uppsala Security. The investigators report that the suspects and infrastructures were linked to at least 35,224 identified victims who lost nearly $193 million. Operation Serengeti recovered roughly $44 million. Here are some highlights from the report, focused on law enforcement action on particular regions: The countries involved in Operation Serengeti are Algeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Daily Brief Summary
Interpol and Afripol coordinated Operation Serengeti, arresting over 1,000 individuals across 19 African countries for cybercrime.
The operation, running from September 2nd to October 31st, targeted individuals involved in ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and online scams.
The suspects are linked to cybercrimes causing financial losses nearing $193 million globally, affecting at least 35,224 identified victims.
Authorities dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks with support from Cybercrime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, and Uppsala Security.
Operation Serengeti also succeeded in recovering approximately $44 million from cybercriminal activities.
Involved nations included Algeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.