A report by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has revealed how Kenyan hackers reportedly made away with Kh1.1 billion in a massive cybercrime operation this year.
A probe conducted by the organisation between September 2 and October 24, 2024, revealed how the hackers stole the funds through fraudulent scripts after altering the banking systems' security protocol.
According to Interpol, after stealing the money, the hackers promptly redistributed it to companies in three countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nigeria and China.
The monies were also channelled to digital asset institutions offering trading and financial services regulated in multiple places. The investigations led to the arrest of almost 24 people.
During the probe, private sector partners, including Internet Service Providers, played a vital role by sharing intelligence, supporting analysis, and disrupting criminal activities, which consequently led to the arrest of the suspects.
“They provided on-site support and offered round-the-clock remote assistance to patch vulnerabilities and secure critical infrastructure for the participating member countries,” Interpol noted.
The report further revealed that during the same period, security officers across 19 African countries arrested 1,006 suspects and dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks.
The arrests dubbed Operation Serengeti, targeted criminals behind ransomware, Business Email Compromise (BEC), digital extortion and online scams.
In the operation, more than 35,000 victims were identified, with cases linked to nearly Ksh24 billion in financial losses worldwide. For instance, eight people, including five Chinese nationals, were arrested in Senegal for a Ksh777 million online scheme affecting 1,811 victims.
A search conducted at the apartments owned by the Senegalese and Chinese hackers uncovered over 900 SIM cards, Ksh1.4 million in cash, phones, laptops, and copies of victims’ ID cards.
In a separate incident, Nigerian authorities arrested a man accused of running online investment scams. He is believed to have made Ksh38 million by luring victims through messaging platforms with false promises of cryptocurrency returns.
In an analogous situation, security officers in Angola dismantled an international criminal group running a virtual casino. The group, which primarily targeted Brazilian and Nigerian gamblers, defrauded hundreds through its online platform, offering a percentage of winnings to members who recruited new subscribers.
