This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
On September 12, 2019, a global operation targeting online scams led to nearly 300 arrests in 12 countries, including Kenya.
According to the US Justice Department, the suspects include 167 from Nigeria, 74 in the United States, 18 in Turkey, and 15 in Ghana, among others.
The operation, which lasted four months, was led by the US Justice Department and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During the operation, $3.7 million (Ksh.384 million) was recovered, the US Justice Department said.
Christopher Wray, the FBI director, warned that the operation sent a clear message to the criminals who orchestrate these BEC schemes.
The US Justice Department listed some of the scams that the fraudsters used to con their victims, including romance scams, employment opportunities scams, fraudulent online vehicle sales scams, rental scams, and lottery scams.
Foreign citizens, often members of transnational criminal organizations, perpetrate many BEC scams, according to the US Justice Department.
