KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Operation Red Card 2.0 dismantled scams linked to over $45 million in losses, identifying 1,247 victims and taking down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers.
- Binance collaborated with INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, and others, providing critical intelligence and blockchain analysis to combat cybercrime.
- Law enforcement from 16 African countries made 651 arrests and recovered over $4.3 million during the operation.
- Authorities uncovered various scam models, including high-yield investment fraud and mobile loan scams, adapting to local conditions.
Operation Red Card 2.0, a significant public-private collaboration, targeted the infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fraudulent mobile loan applications. This operation, conducted from early December 2025 through late January 2026, exposed scams linked to more than $45 million in losses and identified 1,247 victims. It also resulted in the takedown of 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers.
Binance worked alongside INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, and other law enforcement and non-government actors in this comprehensive effort against pervasive scams. The operation demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated action that combines law enforcement powers with intelligence from trusted private-sector partners to disrupt and dismantle scam ecosystems at their source.
A Cross-Border Push Against Cybercrime
Over an eight-week period, law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries made 651 arrests and recovered more than $4.3 million. Authorities seized 2,341 devices and dismantled 1,442 malicious IPs, domains, and servers. Investigations linked these activities to over $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims from Africa and other regions.
Binance supported authorities, INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, Team Cymru, The Cybercrime ATLAS, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security by leveraging data and investigative expertise to provide critical intelligence to participating countries. Operation Red Card 2.0 was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with additional support from the Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced (GLACY-e) project.
What Investigators Uncovered: Four Scam Models in Practice
Operation Red Card 2.0 revealed how fraud groups adapt their strategies to local conditions and victim profiles. In Nigeria, police dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that used phishing, identity theft, and fake digital-asset investment schemes. Authorities took down over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts and identified a property used as an operational hub.
In Kenya, authorities arrested 27 individuals linked to schemes using messaging apps and social media to lure victims into fraudulent investments. In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement made 58 arrests and seized numerous devices in a crackdown on mobile loan fraud targeting vulnerable communities.
In another case in Nigeria, authorities arrested six suspects accused of infiltrating a telecommunications provider’s platform to illegally resell airtime and data.
Binance’s Role: OSINT and Blockchain Analysis
Binance played a crucial role by assisting with open-source blockchain analysis and using OSINT techniques such as IP and domain analysis. As a member of the Cybercrime ATLAS group, Binance contributed to identifying and investigating cybercrime activity, sharing actionable findings with law enforcement.
Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized the importance of collaboration in combating transnational cybercrime and encouraged victims to seek help from law enforcement.
For more details, see the full announcement here.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
Operation Red Card 2.0, a collaborative effort involving Binance, INTERPOL, and other agencies, targeted cybercrime in Africa, resulting in significant arrests and the recovery of millions in assets.
A report by INTERPOL highlights the increasing sophistication and scale of investment scams in Africa, with AI-powered automation and cross-platform coordination becoming prevalent. This trend underscores the importance of coordinated operations like Red Card 2.0 that effectively disrupt these scams.
According to Chainalysis, blockchain transparency plays a crucial role in cybercrime investigations, aiding in tracking and recovering illicit funds. This aligns with Binance’s contributions to Operation Red Card 2.0, demonstrating the effectiveness of blockchain analysis in combating cybercrime.
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