Binance and Coinbase Join West Africa Scam Crackdown That Flagged $11 Million

Authorities in Ghana and Nigeria arrested 28 people in a sweep against West African scam networks, including crypto investment fraud, according to the US Department of Justice. The operation was hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency and brought tech firms and law enforcement together to target networks going after people in the US, the UK and other countries. The DOJ described it as the first joint operation of its kind focused on West Africa. Officials also identified 117 trafficking victims in Ghana awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.

Crypto Exchanges and Analytics Firms Join the Operation

Binance and Coinbase took part alongside blockchain analytics firms Chainalysis, Elliptic and TRM Labs. Private companies flagged more than $11 million in funds that could be frozen, though that figure covers possible freezes, not confirmed recoveries. Partners reported crypto seizures without disclosing their value or the assets involved. Coinbase said it helped trace illicit funds, support freezes and share intelligence, identifying more than 65 active scam victims and preventing over $415,000 in potential losses. TRM Labs said it exposed a large peer to peer laundering network.

Arrests, Seizures and Meta Account Removals

Ghanaian authorities arrested 19 people in Sasaabi, near Accra, and seized 303 electronic devices, while nine more arrests were made in Nigeria. Meta said it removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups, mostly impersonation efforts aimed at Americans and Britons. Participants also gave law enforcement leads on more than 30 suspected scam centers.