Story perspectives

FBI DOJ Arrest 28 Scam Suspects, Seize $11M

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 10:27 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. FBI and Department of Justice arrested 28 alleged scammers in Ghana and Nigeria.
Authorities seized over 350 electronic devices and identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds.
Meta removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts and groups linked to the scams.
117 trafficked workers were rescued from scam compounds and will be repatriated.
Coinbase flagged 65 victims and stopped $415,000 in potential cryptocurrency losses.

History

Historical Context

In 2015 the U.S. Department of Justice and Britain’s National Crime Agency launched Operation Babel, seizing 28 computers, 12 smartphones and $5 million while arresting 30 suspects in Lagos and Accra. Building on that precedent, the FBI and DOJ’s 2024 raids in Ghana and Nigeria target the same transnational fraud networks that abuse Meta’s platforms, reflecting growing cross-border enforcement.

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Story summary

The U.S. FBI and Department of Justice arrested 28 alleged scammers in Ghana and Nigeria.
Authorities seized over 350 electronic devices and identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds.
Meta removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts and groups linked to the scams.
117 trafficked workers were rescued from scam compounds and will be repatriated.
Coinbase flagged 65 victims and stopped $415,000 in potential cryptocurrency losses.

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