FBI raids in Ghana and Nigeria free workers, seize funds, delete millions of scam accounts

During a "Joint Disruption Week," the FBI's Operation Blackout targeted scam compounds across Ghana and Nigeria, resulting in 28 arrests and the seizure of over 350 electronic devices. The raids uncovered at least $11 million in assets that could be frozen and liberated more than 100 individuals trafficked to operate fraud schemes against overseas victims. Collaborating with the Department of Justice, the UK National Crime Agency and other agencies, the FBI also worked with Meta to remove over 3.7 million Facebook, Instagram accounts, pages and groups tied to the operations.

More than 100 U.S. victims, whose losses top $10 million, were identified, and over 120 trafficked workers are slated for repatriation. Nigerian authorities will prosecute nine detainees, while Ghanaian officials hold 19 suspects. The operation underscores a geographic shift of scam networks into sub-Saharan Africa and the emerging use of AI by criminals, prompting law-enforcement and tech firms to adopt new counter-measures.