1,462 cybercrime arrests in Africa, SA included. Scammed? Do this

Police in 21 countries, South Africa among them, arrested 1,462 cybercrime suspects in an Interpol-led operation across Africa, Interpol said on 22 October 2026. Investigators shut down 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than USD 105 million in stolen funds.

The operation, called Serengeti III, ran from 29 June to 31 August 2026. It targeted online scams, ransomware, business email compromise (fake invoices and payment instructions sent from hacked or look-alike email accounts) and digital extortion. Interpol says 65,929 victims were identified and the networks were linked to losses of more than USD 385 million.

Interpol has not released a breakdown of arrests or cases in South Africa, and several investigations are still open.

What did the operation uncover?

According to Interpol's statement:

• Uganda: two fraud rings dismantled and 365 foreign nationals arrested over fake investment and pension schemes aimed at victims in Asia.
• Angola: two illegal crypto mining centres closed, nine arrests and more than 2,000 mining machines seized.
• Nigeria: one suspect arrested over a phishing and email fraud operation that collected about 2.1 million email addresses, and another over an investment scam promoted on messaging apps that moved more than USD 2.4 million.
• Elsewhere: a fake mobile loan app scheme in Tanzania, a vehicle import scam on social media in Gabon and 30 arrests in the Republic of Congo.

The other participating countries were Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the DRC, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the United States.

Why is South Africa a target?

Interpol's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 says Southern Africa's high connectivity makes it "a magnet for global threat actors". It found that 72% of surveyed countries reported scam centres, with the highest concentration in Southern and West Africa.

The same report says AI now plays a part in 55% of reported cybercrime in Africa, from convincing phishing emails to deepfake video used in sextortion. Cybercrime losses on the continent rose from USD 192 million to USD 484 million since 2024.

What should you do if you've been scammed online?

Call your bank's fraud line first so it can freeze your account and try to stop further payments. SABRIC, the banking industry's crime information centre, lists these numbers:

• Absa: 0860 557 557
• Capitec: 0860 10 20 43
• FNB: 087 575 9404
• Nedbank: 0800 110 929
• Standard Bank: 0800 020 600

Then open a case with SAPS. The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) advises you to:

• write an affidavit setting out who you are, what happened and who did it (if you know), with a line saying you want it investigated
• take it to your nearest police station, lay a charge and ask for the case to go to the cybercrime unit
• get a CAS case number and the duty detective's details so you can follow up

Keep screenshots, emails, chat messages and bank statements as evidence. If an officer won't open a case, ask for the shift commander, CSIRT.net.za advises.

What if it's a suspicious message and no money was lost?

You don't have to lay a charge. ISPA says you can report possible online fraud or suspicious activity to the national Cybersecurity Hub instead.