Whenever conversations about online scams come up, the discussion often quickly turns into finger-pointing at entire countries. The problem is that there is no official database that counts scammers by nationality, making it difficult and often unfair to declare that one country has “more scammers” than another.
What can be examined instead are cybercrime complaints, law enforcement operations, arrests, victim reports, seized devices, and financial losses linked to online fraud investigations.
Based on publicly available data from international agencies including the FBI and INTERPOL, five African countries consistently appear in cybercrime enforcement reports and online fraud investigations. 
1. South Africa
South Africa constantly appeared in the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data. According to figures reported, the country recorded 1,532 cybercrime complaints submitted to the FBI, the highest figure among African countries listed in the report.
The country has also appeared in several INTERPOL-backed cybercrime operations targeting online investment fraud, mobile banking scams, phishing schemes, and messaging-app fraud. During Operation Red Card 2.0, between December 2025 and January 2026, authorities across 16 African countries carried out 651 arrests and recovered more than $4.3 million linked to cybercrime activities.
2. Nigeria
For years, Nigeria has remained one of the countries most associated with online fraud globally, largely because of the volume of complaints and enforcement actions connected to the country.
The FBI’s 2025 IC3 report placed Nigeria among the top 20 countries worldwide for cybercrime complaints, recording 1,219 complaints. Reports by Guardian Nigeria indicated that the country ranked 12th among foreign countries mentioned in the FBI’s cybercrime complaint statistics.
Nigeria has also featured in several international operations targeting investment fraud, romance scams, fake loan applications, and mobile money fraud. While stereotypes often dominate discussions about Nigerian cybercrime, international law enforcement data continues to point to documented fraud networks operating both within and outside the country.
3. Ghana
During INTERPOL’s Operation Contender 3.0, Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects, seized 835 electronic devices, and identified 108 victims linked to online scam operations. Investigators estimated losses at approximately $450,000, with around $70,000 successfully recovered.
Authorities said the scams involved fake social media profiles, identity theft, romance scams, sextortion schemes, and fraudulent courier and customs payment requests.
The operation offered a detailed picture of how online fraud networks can operate across multiple platforms while targeting victims in different countries.
ALSO READ: Forbes’ Highest-Paid African Footballer Plus 9 Top Earners in 2026
4. Kenya
Kenya has increasingly appeared in international cybercrime investigations, particularly those involving financial fraud.
In Operation Serengeti, a joint effort involving INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kenyan investigators uncovered an online credit card fraud case linked to losses estimated at $8.6 million.
The operation spanned 19 African countries and resulted in 1,006 arrests, the identification of approximately 35,000 victims, and nearly $193 million in reported financial losses.
Kenya was also among countries mentioned in Operation Red Card 2.0, which targeted online investment scams, mobile money fraud, and fake digital loan applications.
5. Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire has also been involved in recent cross-border cybercrime investigations.
In an INTERPOL-led operation targeting romance scams and sextortion networks, authorities arrested 24 suspects linked to blackmail schemes involving intimate images. The broader operation resulted in 260 arrests, affected more than 1,400 victims, and involved losses approaching $2.8 million.
The country has also been connected to other international fraud investigations, including a reported inheritance scam valued at approximately €1.5 million.
What these figures show is not that entire countries are responsible for online fraud, but that cybercrime remains a growing challenge across multiple regions.
Increased complaints, high-profile arrests, and international investigations show that organised online fraud networks are still thriving across Africa. In response, local authorities are stepping up cooperation with global agencies like INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, and international law enforcement.
About The Author
Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News
