Interpol coordinated Operation Serengeti III, leading to 1,462 arrests and more than $105 million recovered in a cybercrime crackdown targeting phone scams across Africa. The operation ran from 29 June to 31 August 2026, with police in 20 African countries and the United States taking part. Interpol said officers disrupted 10,909 malicious networks during the campaign. Investigators focused on scams that spread through everyday channels, including messaging apps, inboxes, and app stores. Police described them as fake trading platforms, fake loan apps, fake car sellers, and emails pretending to be your boss or supplier. Interpol said the money recovered was about 27% of losses linked to the cases. Interpol also identified 65,929 victims, with linked losses averaging about $5,840 per person. “Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale,” Interpol’s cybercrime director Neal Jetton said. Police linked the operation to an increase in the use of AI in cybercrime on the continent, according to Interpol’s African Cyber Threat Assessment Report 2026.