DOJ targets $11 million in crypto, arrests 28 in West Africa scam crackdown

A coordinated international law enforcement campaign targeting cryptocurrency-based scam operations in West Africa has resulted in the arrest of 28 individuals in Ghana and Nigeria, as well as the potential restriction of approximately $11 million in crypto assets. The operation, known as “Joint Disruption Week,” launched on October 6 at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency headquarters in London. This effort brought together investigators from multiple countries, major technology firms including Meta, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase. These organizations collaborated to target not only individual scammers but the wider criminal infrastructure fueling these schemes.