How Big Tech Helped US and UK Take Down Scammers in Nigeria and Ghana
By Samuel Danbaji
Technology companies including Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI helped US and UK authorities identify suspected online fraud networks in West Africa, contributing to the arrest of 28 people and the removal of more than 3.7 million online accounts, Pages and Groups linked to scams — the highest-ever takedown of such accounts in the region.
The announcement followed a week-long international operation known as “Disruption Week”, which began on October 6 and involved authorities from the US, UK, Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and other countries.
According to the US Department of Justice, 19 people were arrested in Ghana and nine in Nigeria during the operation. Authorities also seized hundreds of electronic devices and identified more than $11 million in funds that could potentially be frozen.
The operation relied on intelligence shared by technology companies, which also voluntarily removed accounts and provided law enforcement with leads on suspected scammers targeting victims in the US, UK and elsewhere.
“Transnational fraud demands a transnational response,” said Jeanine Ferris Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia and founder of the Scam Center Strike Force.
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), said international cooperation was essential to tackling the problem.
“Fraud is a global problem and it takes partnership working across international boundaries to tackle it,” he said.
The schemes targeted by the operation included law enforcement impersonation scams, digital arrest extortion, cryptocurrency investment fraud and other forms of online deception.
In Ghana, authorities arrested 19 suspects in Sasaabi, a suburb of Accra, and seized 303 electronic devices. They also identified 117 suspected victims of human trafficking who are awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.
A further 89 scam victims were identified, with estimated losses of approximately $8.3 million.
In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine people and seized 53 electronic devices during the enforcement period.
Rising losses from investment fraud
Figures from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) highlight the scale of investment fraud involving cryptocurrency in the US.
Reported losses from investment scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Losses from investment scams involving cryptocurrency reportedly increased by 24% in 2025, exceeding $7.2 billion.
The FBI also reported 72,984 investment scam complaints in 2025, with cryptocurrency investment fraud accounting for 72% of that category.
