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Interpol Sting Sniffs Out Cyber Crime in Nigeria, Others

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An Interpol-coordinated operation has led to the arrest of 1 209 suspected cyber criminals that targeted nearly 88 000 victims. Dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, the crackdown recovered $97.4 million and dismantled 11 432 malicious networks used for cyber crime, says the law enforcement organisation.

The operation was set up to combat cyber-crime across the African continent, focusing on several criminal activities targeting organisations and individuals in the region.

The participating countries were Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania, the UK, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Run between June and August, the operation brought together investigators from the 18 African countries and the UK to tackle high-harm and high-impact cyber crimes, including ransomware, online scams and business e-mail compromise.

According to Interpol, private sector collaboration partners assisted with intelligence, guidance and training to help investigators act on intelligence and identify offenders effectively.

The intelligence was shared with participating countries ahead of the operation, providing critical information on specific threats, as well as suspicious IP addresses, domains and C2 servers.

Valdecy Urquiza, secretary-general of Interpol, comments: “Each Interpol-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries.

“With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact. This global network is stronger than ever, delivering real outcomes and safeguarding victims.”

The first edition of operation Serengeti was held from September to October 2024 and cracked down on cyber crimes such as ransomware operations, digital extortion and online scams.

The criminal activities caused nearly $193 million in damages and, as a result of an effort uniting nearly 20 participating countries, more than 1 000 suspected cyber criminals were arrested, at the time.

The outcomes of Serengeti 2.0 saw authorities dismantle 25 crypto-currency mining centres in Angola, where the suspects were illegally validating blockchain transactions to generate crypto-currency.

The crackdown also identified 45 illicit power stations that were confiscated, along with mining and IT equipment worth more than $37 million, which has now been earmarked by the government to support power distribution in vulnerable areas.

In Zambia, authorities dismantled a large-scale online investment fraud scheme, identifying 65 000 victims who lost an estimated total of $300 million.

“The scammers lured victims into investing in crypto-currency through extensive advertising campaigns promising high-yield returns. Victims were then instructed to download multiple apps to participate,” reads the statement.

According to Interpol, authorities arrested 15 individuals and seized key evidence, including domains, mobile numbers and bank accounts. Investigations are ongoing with efforts focused on tracking down overseas collaborators.

Also in Zambia, authorities identified a scam centre and, in joint operations with the Immigration Department in Lusaka, disrupted a suspected human trafficking network. They confiscated 372 forged passports from seven countries.

“Despite being one of the oldest-running internet frauds, inheritance scams continue to generate significant funds for criminal organisations.

“Officers in Côte d’Ivoire dismantled a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany, arresting the primary suspect and seizing assets, including electronics, jewellery, cash, vehicles and documents. With victims tricked into paying fees to claim fake inheritances, the scam caused an estimated $1.6 million in losses.”

Operation Serengeti 2.0 was held under the umbrella of the African Joint Operation against Cyber Crime, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The collaborating partners were Cyber Crime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, The Shadowserver Foundation, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs and Uppsala Security.

 


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Kaspersky Warns of a New Phishing Technique Leveraging Bubble, a no-code AI Platform

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Kaspersky has discovered a new phishing tactic used to evade traditional security controls that exploits Bubble, a platform that allows users to build web and mobile applications through a visual interface without writing code.

Attackers are increasingly adopting innovative tools designed for legitimate software development and repurposing them to boost phishing campaigns.

Traditional phishing attacks often rely on malicious links or obvious redirection techniques, which are typically flagged and blocked by modern security systems.

However, attackers are now leveraging Bubble’s no-code environment to generate intermediary web applications which are hosted on Bubble’s legitimate infrastructure and trusted domains such as *.bubble.io, which improves their credibility and helps them bypass security filters.

These applications function as disguised redirectors, silently forwarding victims to malicious credential-harvesting websites.

In the observed campaign, victims were ultimately redirected to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft login page, protected by a Cloudflare verification layer designed to further obscure malicious intent.

This technique is likely being integrated into broader phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms and phishing kits. These kits enable a wide range of malicious capabilities with ready-made tools, including real-time interception of session cookies, driving phishing campaigns through legitimate services such as Google Tasks and Google Forms, and carry out adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks that can bypass multi-factor authentication.

They also support the generation of phishing emails using AI, implement geo-filtering and anti-detection mechanisms to evade security crawlers and are often hosted on reputable cloud services like AWS to avoid blacklisting.

“The use of legitimate platforms like Bubble introduces a new level of trust abuse, making it harder for both users and automated systems to distinguish between safe and malicious content. This significantly increases the likelihood of credential theft, unauthorised access and potential data breaches,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.

 

 


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NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

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Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.

NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.

The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.

The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.

With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.

This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.

Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.

These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.

Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.

The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.

Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.

 

 


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FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion  – Minister

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Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.

FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion  - Minister

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.

He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.

Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.

He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.

“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.

Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.

According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.

“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.

Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.

Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.

 

 


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