Ethical Hacking News
Global cybercrime has taken a major hit thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies from 19 African countries and Interpol, with over 1,000 suspects arrested as part of Operation Serengeti. These arrests netted authorities $193 million in financial losses attributed to various forms of cybercrime, including ransomware attacks and business email compromise schemes. The operation demonstrated a significant capacity for global cooperation in combating this menace.
African law enforcement agencies arrested over 1,000 individuals suspected of cybercrime involvement as part of "Operation Serengeti".The operation targeted ransomware attacks, business email compromise schemes, digital extortion, and online scams.Authorities seized over 134,000 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to at least 35,224 victims who suffered $193 million in losses.Signed portions of the losses were recovered, with around $44 million returned.Several countries took part in Operation Serengeti, including Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, and others.The operation demonstrates global cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime.Cybercrime remains a significant threat worldwide, highlighting the need for ongoing global cooperation to combat this menace.
In a major operation aimed at disrupting global cybercrime networks, law enforcement agencies from 19 African countries have arrested over 1,000 individuals suspected of involvement in various forms of cybercrime. The coordinated effort, dubbed "Operation Serengeti," was carried out by Interpol and Afripol between September 2nd and October 31st, with the goal of targeting those behind ransomware attacks, business email compromise schemes, digital extortion, and online scams.
According to reports, authorities seized over 134,000 malicious infrastructures and networks as part of the operation. These seizures were linked to at least 35,224 identified victims who suffered financial losses totaling close to $193 million. While a significant portion of these losses were recovered through Operation Serengeti – with roughly $44 million being returned – many more remain outstanding.
Kenya played a notable role in Operation Serengeti, cracking down on an online credit card fraud case that resulted in $8.6 million in losses. Authorities discovered that funds were stolen via fraudulent scripts and redirected to companies in the UAE, Nigeria, and China. In Senegal, officials dismantled a Ponzi scheme affecting 1,811 victims and collected over $6 million in lost funds.
Nigeria saw the arrest of a man running online investment scams, which earned him $300,000 through false cryptocurrency promises. Cameroon disrupted a multi-level marketing scam that trafficked victims from seven countries, with group members collecting at least $150,000 in membership fees. The most impressive figure came from Angola, where authorities made 150 arrests and seized over 200 computers, as well as 100 mobile phones, related to an international virtual casino.
The Operation Serengeti effort demonstrated a significant capacity for global cooperation between law enforcement agencies, leveraging intelligence provided by operational partners Cybercrime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, and Uppsala Security. The scale of the operation suggests that cybercrime remains an ever-present threat to individuals, businesses, and economies worldwide.
As cybersecurity continues to evolve with technology advancements, it becomes increasingly imperative for global cooperation in combating this menace. Operations like Operation Serengeti are crucial in taking down those who seek to exploit vulnerabilities for personal gain.
Related Information:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/over-1-000-arrested-in-massive-serengeti-anti-cybercrime-operation/
Published: Tue Nov 26 13:56:38 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
