The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says its global Operation Blackout campaign has resulted in approximately $17 billion in seizures and prevented an estimated $670 million in potential fraud losses.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the figures in a post on X, highlighting the campaign’s reported efforts to dismantle scam centres, arrest alleged fraudsters and rescue people trafficked and forced to work in such facilities.
“OPERATION BLACKOUT: This FBI’s global crackdown on scam center fraud continues to deliver outstanding results in Ghana,” he wrote.
Mr. Patel said the campaign had so far resulted in hundreds of alleged scammers being arrested, thousands of trafficked workers being freed and more than 10,000 Americans being warned before losing money to fraud.
He listed the operation’s reported achievements as follows, “Operation Blackout totals so far: roughly $17 BILLION seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested, thousands of trafficked workers freed, 10,000+ Americans warned before losing their money, $670 MILLION in estimated losses prevented.”
The announcement follows a recent crackdown on suspected scam centres in Ghana, where Mr Patel said more than 130 people had been arrested or detained, 89 victims identified and more than 300 electronic devices seized.
However, Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has clarified that the operation in the country, also known as Operation Cyber Hunt, was planned, coordinated and executed by Ghanaian authorities, with support from international partners.
READ: Operation Blackout: CSA rejects FBI narrative, insists it led crackdown
The CSA said the exercise involved its officers working with the National Security Council, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.
International partners included the FBI, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The authority said the operation uncovered suspected cybercrime centres in parts of the Greater Accra Region, leading to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected of being trafficked and exploited for online fraud.
Items seized included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, four vehicles and other digital equipment.
READ: Arrests alone will not end Ghana’s cyber-fraud problem – Jatikay Centre
Investigations and arrangements to repatriate the rescued victims are ongoing.
