An Interpol-coordinated initiative called Operation Sentinel led to the arrest of 574 individuals and the recovery of $3 million linked to business email compromise, extortion, and ransomware incidents.
Between October 27 and November 27, the investigation, which involved law enforcement in 19 countries, took down more than 6,000 malicious links and decrypted six distinct ransomware variants.
Interpol says that the cybercrime cases investigated are connected to more than $21 million in financial losses.
The international police agency highlights the following successes during the recent Operation Sentinel:
Senegal: Authorities stopped a $7.9 million BEC wire transfer targeting a petroleum company by freezing accounts before funds were withdrawn
Authorities stopped a $7.9 million BEC wire transfer targeting a petroleum company by freezing accounts before funds were withdrawn Ghana: A financial institution lost $120,000 and suffered encryption of 100 TB of data in a ransomware attack. Law enforcement analyzed the malware, developed a decryption tool, and recovered 30 TB; multiple arrests followed
A financial institution lost $120,000 and suffered encryption of 100 TB of data in a ransomware attack. Law enforcement analyzed the malware, developed a decryption tool, and recovered 30 TB; multiple arrests followed Ghana/Nigeria: A cross-border scam mimicking well-known fast-food brands defrauded 200+ victims of over $400,000. The action resulted in ten suspects arrested, over 100 devices seized, and 30 servers taken offline
A cross-border scam mimicking well-known fast-food brands defrauded 200+ victims of over $400,000. The action resulted in ten suspects arrested, over 100 devices seized, and 30 servers taken offline Benin: 106 arrests, 43 malicious domains removed, and 4,318 scam-linked social media accounts shut down
106 arrests, 43 malicious domains removed, and 4,318 scam-linked social media accounts shut down Cameroon: Rapid response to an online vehicle sales scam led to tracing a compromised server and issuing an emergency bank freeze within hours
Arrests of cybercriminals in Ghana
... continue reading