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INTERPOL-Led Global Fraud Crackdown Nets 5,811 Suspects, Intercepts $293m

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A global anti-fraud operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has resulted in the arrest of 5,811 suspects and the interception of illicit assets worth 293 million dollars across 97 countries and territories.

INTERPOL-Led Global Fraud Crackdown Nets 5,811 Suspects, Intercepts $293m

INTERPOL

INTERPOL disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the operation, codenamed Operation First Light 2026, was conducted between Jan. 15 and April 30 to combat social engineering scams and related money laundering activities.

It said the operation targeted a wide range of cyber-enabled fraud schemes, including business email compromise, romance scams, investment fraud, sextortion and impersonation scams.

According to INTERPOL, participating countries engaged in intelligence sharing before carrying out coordinated enforcement actions against high-value targets over a three-month period.

The operation involved raids on identified locations, the freezing of bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, the issuance of INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions, and the deployment of the organization’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP) mechanism to swiftly block illicit financial transfers.

INTERPOL said the operation identified more than 142,000 victims worldwide, underscoring the growing threat posed by social engineering scams to individuals, businesses and governments.

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It added that investigators analysed 152,808 cases, solved 23,715 of them, identified 15,606 suspects, blocked 31,014 bank accounts and issued 99 Notices and Diffusions.

Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, said social engineering scams remained a significant global threat because criminal syndicates exploited human psychology to deceive victims.

“Social engineering scams continue to pose a significant threat to our society.

“Criminal syndicates exploit human psychology to manipulate their targets, and no nation can stay safe unless all countries are equipped and committed to jointly fighting back,” Kaya said.

He added that INTERPOL remained committed to helping member countries develop coordinated strategies to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes, organised criminal networks and money laundering.

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Among the major cases highlighted during the operation, authorities in Eswatini arrested 82 suspects linked to illegal online gambling, money laundering and impersonation scams.

Police also seized 240 electronic devices, foreign currencies and a replica of a Brazilian police station complete with fake uniforms and equipment allegedly used to deceive victims during video calls.

In Thailand, investigators arrested two suspects over a money laundering operation linked to romance scams and cryptocurrency transactions. One suspect’s digital wallet was found to have processed more than 122.5 million dollars within 10 months.

Authorities in Singapore and Oman used INTERPOL’s I-GRIP payment intervention system to block an illicit transfer of 6.6 million dollars linked to a business email compromise scam targeting a Singapore-based commodity trading company.

In Macao, China, police prevented a victim from transferring nearly 372,000 dollars to fraudsters posing as public officials after discovering the ongoing scam during a public awareness campaign.

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Meanwhile, authorities in Palau deported 22 individuals allegedly operating two scam centres from hotels, where they used cryptocurrency platforms and illegal gambling websites to target victims in multiple countries.

INTERPOL said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in disrupting organised cybercrime networks and protecting victims from increasingly sophisticated financial fraud schemes.

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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

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Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

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‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

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NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

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NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

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The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

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EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

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European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

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The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

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If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

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