What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
INTERPOL says Operation Serengeti 2.0 led to 1,209 arrests, identified nearly 88,000 victims, recovered USD 97.4 million and dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures. The cybercrime operation ran from June through August 2025 and involved investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom.
What was Operation Serengeti 2.0?
Operation Serengeti 2.0 was an INTERPOL-coordinated cybercrime operation conducted between June and August 2025. INTERPOL announced the results on 22 August 2025, reporting coordinated enforcement activity against ransomware, online scams and business email compromise (BEC).
The operation combined investigations by national authorities with intelligence, training and technical guidance from private-sector partners. That support included information about suspicious IP addresses, domains and command-and-control servers.
How many arrests and victims were reported?
| Measure | Figure reported by INTERPOL |
|---|---|
| Cybercriminals arrested | 1,209 |
| Victims identified | Nearly 88,000 |
| Funds recovered | USD 97.4 million |
| Malicious infrastructures dismantled | 11,432 |
These are aggregate figures for the operation as reported by INTERPOL. “Recovered” refers to funds recovered by participating authorities; the announcement does not establish that every amount will be returned to victims or specify a single recovery method.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute#1 Best Overall
Which countries took part?
Investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom participated. The material released for this announcement gives the regional and UK total but does not provide a complete country-by-country list, so a more specific list should not be inferred from the headline figure.
What crimes did the operation target?
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks encrypt or otherwise disrupt systems and demand payment. The operation treated ransomware as one of its main cybercrime categories.
Rank #2
Online scams
This category covered internet-enabled fraud schemes, including investment and inheritance scams described in the operation’s case results.
Business email compromise
BEC uses compromised or impersonated business email accounts to manipulate payment instructions, steal credentials or redirect money. INTERPOL and its partners shared intelligence on BEC infrastructure during the operation.
Rank #3
- Students build unmatched deductive-reasoning skills as they become crime-solving stars
- Most scenarios have more than one plausible outcome, allowing individuals or groups to broadly interpret evidence
- Includes interpretive handwriting, body language, fingerprinting, and many more activities
How intelligence and training supported the arrests
INTERPOL said private-sector partners supplied intelligence, investigative guidance and training. Group-IB reported providing intelligence on a cryptocurrency investment scam, BEC infrastructure and other malicious infrastructure.
Group-IB also ran practical workshops covering open-source intelligence and dark-web investigations. Those activities were intended to help national investigators connect technical indicators—such as domains, IP addresses and command-and-control servers—to people, accounts and physical operations.
Major cases reported by INTERPOL
Angola: cryptocurrency-mining centres
- Authorities dismantled 25 cryptocurrency-mining centres.
- 60 Chinese nationals were involved in the case, according to INTERPOL’s account.
- Investigators confiscated 45 illicit power stations.
- Mining and IT equipment worth more than USD 37 million was seized.
The case shows that the operation’s infrastructure focus extended beyond phishing or malware servers to physical facilities and the power systems supporting illicit activity.
Zambia: online investment fraud
- Authorities identified a scheme with 65,000 victims.
- Estimated losses were USD 300 million.
- 15 people were arrested.
- Investigators seized evidence including domains, mobile numbers and bank accounts.
Investigations were still continuing into collaborators based overseas, so the 15 arrests were not necessarily the final enforcement total for that scheme.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Best Value
- BLAST AWAY SUMMER LEARNING LOSS – Students will practice and retain the skills learned in 3rd grade, so they’re prepared and ready for success in 4th grade!
- NINE WEEKLY ACTIVITIES – The fun and engaging activities will keep your student learning all summer long. The quick and colorful activity pages (nine per week, for nine weeks) focus on the key skills needed to prepare for 4th grade.
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Summer Blast provides information and tips for the whole family! It includes the top 5 family - field trips, science labs, apps and websites, and more.
- ALIGNS TO STANDARDS – The activities are based on state and national standards to provide practice with essential reading, writing, and math skills.
- CREATED BY TEACHERS – Shell Education develops innovative and imaginative educational materials for students worldwide. Everything we do is created by teachers for teachers and students to make teaching more effective and learning more fun.
Côte d’Ivoire: inheritance scam
Officers dismantled a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany and arrested its primary suspect. Estimated losses in that case were about USD 1.6 million.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does Serengeti 2.0 compare with the first operation?
Group-IB’s 2025 account of the first Operation Serengeti provides the following comparison. The figures describe different operations and should not be added together.
| Measure | Operation Serengeti (2024) | Operation Serengeti 2.0 (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Participating countries | 19 African countries | 18 African countries and the United Kingdom |
| Arrests | 1,006 | 1,209 |
| Malicious infrastructures dismantled | More than 134,000 | 11,432 |
| Victims | More than 35,000 | Nearly 88,000 |
| Financial figure reported | Nearly USD 193 million in linked losses | USD 97.4 million recovered |
| Crime focus | Not stated in the supplied comparison | Ransomware, online scams and BEC |
The comparison is not a simple year-on-year scorecard: the 2024 figure is linked losses, while the 2025 figure is recovered money, and the infrastructure totals use different reported scales.
What the results mean
Serengeti 2.0 demonstrates the value of combining cross-border police work with private-sector technical intelligence. The reported arrests and recoveries came from investigations that connected online indicators to bank accounts, phone numbers, domains, equipment and suspects in multiple jurisdictions.
The operation also shows why victim counts and financial figures can change as investigations continue. INTERPOL’s totals describe the results announced on 22 August 2025, while individual cases—such as the Zambian investigation—still included work involving overseas collaborators.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
