President Trump’s Justice Department has announced a major international crackdown on West African scam networks, and the numbers are not exactly a rounding error. More than 3.7 million fraudulent social-media accounts, pages, and groups were removed. Authorities also announced 28 arrests, the rescue of 117 trafficking victims, and the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices.
The operation brought American law enforcement, foreign authorities, cryptocurrency companies, and major technology platforms into the same fight. That is a refreshing change from simply telling people to be careful online while criminals treat other people’s savings like an all-you-can-steal buffet. Investigators and private companies shared information in real time during the four-day Joint Disruption Week in London, targeting networks operating from West Africa.
Brian Armstrong described the effort this way: “We took some time this week to hunt down scammers. At London Joint Disruption Week, multiple companies and law enforcement agencies shared real-time intelligence, and took action against criminal scam networks operating in West Africa. Crime doesn’t pay.”
We took some time this week to hunt down scammers.
At London Joint Disruption Week, multiple companies and law enforcement agencies shared real-time intelligence, and took action against criminal scam networks operating in West Africa.
Crime doesn't pay.
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) October 14, 2026
The Justice Department said the event produced the largest-ever takedown of fraudulent social-media accounts linked to scam centers in the region. Industry partners removed more than 3.7 million accounts, pages, and groups, while investigators shared leads on more than 30 suspected scam centers.
Ghanaian authorities arrested 19 suspects and seized 303 electronic devices. Nigerian authorities arrested nine more suspects and seized another 53 devices. Investigators identified 89 scam victims who collectively lost about $8.3 million. At least $11 million in funds may be frozen, giving authorities a chance to stop some stolen money before it disappears into another digital wallet or overseas exchange.
The human cost is even more disturbing. Authorities identified and rescued 117 trafficking victims in Ghana who were awaiting repatriation to Nigeria. Many people caught in these operations are reportedly recruited with false job offers, trapped in compounds, and forced to run online scams through fear, isolation, and violence. The fraud may begin with a message on a screen, but the machinery behind it can look a lot more like organized human trafficking than any harmless internet hustle.
The U.S. Embassy in Accra said, “The United States is proud to partner with Ghana to keep our communities safe. Ghanaian authorities led a major operation in Accra during last week’s international Joint Disruption Week against scam networks in West Africa, arresting 19 suspects and seizing 303 electronic…”
The United States is proud to partner with Ghana to keep our communities safe. Ghanaian authorities led a major operation in Accra during last week’s international Joint Disruption Week against scam networks in West Africa, arresting 19 suspects and seizing 303 electronic…
— U.S. Embassy Accra (@USEmbassyGhana) October 14, 2026
The schemes targeted ordinary people with familiar tricks, including law-enforcement impersonation, fake digital arrests, cryptocurrency investment fraud, and relationship scams often called pig butchering. A victim may receive a friendly message, spend weeks building trust with the scammer, and then get pushed toward a fake investment platform. The supposed profits grow on the screen, but the money is fiction. When the victim tries to withdraw funds, the criminals demand taxes, fees, or one more deposit. There is always one more deposit, right up until the victim realizes the entire account was a carefully staged lie.
Elliptic said its investigators connected scam-wallet addresses and fraudulent websites to cryptocurrency exchanges. Almost every scam wallet analyzed during the operation had either sent funds to an exchange or received funds from one. That cooperation allowed exchanges to identify customers, restrict accounts, and freeze funds while investigators were still building the broader network. In cryptocurrency cases, speed matters because every delay gives criminals another chance to move stolen money across wallets and jurisdictions.
Removing accounts is useful, but arrests, device seizures, victim rescues, and financial freezes go after the people and infrastructure powering the scams. This crackdown did not merely swat at suspicious posts. It brought government agencies and private companies together to disrupt the money, expose the networks, and help victims who were forced into the operation.
We’re proud to have supported Joint Disruption Week with the Silent Push platform and our analyst team. This #PublicPrivatePartnership against West African #ScamCenters led to dozens of #CyberCrime arrests and more than 100 trafficking victims rescued: https://t.co/tbItij4ZT7 pic.twitter.com/51xFzKCfHJ
— Silent Push (@silentpush) October 14, 2026
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