Interpol’s Operation Jackal IV concluded an intensive eight-month investigation spanning from November 2025 to June 2026, dismantling crypto scam networks across 22 countries. Law enforcement authorities from six continents arrested 58 individuals, froze 257 bank accounts, and severed access to over 11,800 online resources.
The operation focused heavily on West African organized crime groups such as Black Axe. The syndicate cycled victims’ funds through romance scams, fraudulent crypto investment schemes, and business email compromise. Authorities seized assets totaling $2.67 million and added 263 new suspects to wanted lists.
Shifting to an Infrastructure Rental Model
Investigations revealed a shift in the criminals’ modus operandi: West African groups are moving away from building scam systems from scratch. Instead, they purchase Crime-as-a-Service solutions from external vendors on the dark web to obtain infrastructure and money laundering channels.
Findings by Argentine federal police underscored the role of third-party providers in the underground ecosystem. Authorities detected a Crime-as-a-Service supplier network operating in their country, providing website domains and facilitating money laundering for West African groups. Tracking efforts there identified 196 individuals and led to the detention of 17 suspects.
In Europe, Italian authorities tracked anomalous banking flows linked to hacker groups. Police uncovered a single bank account that processed €845,000 in cash across 560 separate transactions utilizing 20 different financial instruments.
Romanian Call Center and Retiree Targets
The largest mass arrests took place in South Africa through raids across seven locations in the Johannesburg area. Police detained 39 suspects who operated a syndicate specializing in targeting retiree funds from English-speaking countries.
Meanwhile, the largest financial damage centered on Romania, where authorities dismantled a call center operating fake stock and crypto investment schemes. The Romanian-based syndicate is estimated to have stolen and laundered €143 million from victims worldwide. Police arrested 11 individuals and seized €330,000 in cash and cryptocurrency, alongside six properties and a collection of luxury watches.
Striking the Syndicate’s Lifeline
The operation’s reach spanned jurisdictions including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Nigeria. Tomonobu Kaya, Director of Interpol’s IFCACC, emphasized the vital importance of following the money trail to disrupt global scam networks.
“By following the illicit financial flows across borders, we strike at the lifeline of organized crime,” Kaya stated when commenting on the enforcement results.
The latest legal action builds on Interpol’s track record following Operation First Light across 97 countries. That predecessor operation apprehended 5,811 individuals and seized $293 million in funds. Rapid intelligence sharing among cross-border law enforcement proves that continental distance can no longer serve as a hideout for crypto scammers.
Reported by crypto.news.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
