INTERPOL Operation First Light With 3,950 Arrests
USD 257 million in assets seized in Operation First Light, with 3,950 arrests and the identification of 14,643 suspects spanning 61 countries.
Primary Category: Crimes and Criminals
Author:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• INTERPOL
About This Article
Operation First Light 2024, a global police initiative spanning 61 countries, has struck a significant blow to online scam networks by freezing 6,745 bank accounts and seizing assets worth USD $257 million.
The operation, which targeted various scams including phishing, investment fraud, and romance scams, resulted in 3,950 arrests and the identification of 14,643 additional suspects. Authorities intercepted USD $135 million in regular currency and USD $2 million in cryptocurrency, alongside other high-value assets.
The operation, coordinated by INTERPOL and funded by China’s Ministry of Public Security, underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and protecting victims worldwide.
USD $257 Million Seized In Global Police Crackdown Against Online Scams
Operation First Light highlights the extensive reach of scam syndicates!
A global police operation spanning 61 countries has delivered a financial blow to online scam networks by freezing 6,745 bank accounts, seizing assets totaling USD 257 million, and disrupting the transnational organized crime networks involved.
Targeting phishing, investment fraud, fake online shopping sites, romance scams, and impersonation scams, Operation First Light 2024 led to the arrest of 3,950 suspects and identified 14,643 other possible suspects in all continents.
Police collectively intercepted some USD $135 million in regular currency and USD $2 million in cryptocurrency. Regular (fiat) currency, such as the US Dollar, Euro, or Yen, is official currency issued and regulated by governments.
Other assets worth over USD $120 million were seized, including real estate, high-end vehicles, expensive jewelry, and many other high-value items and collections.
Using INTERPOL’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP) mechanism to help them trace and intercept the illicit proceeds of crime, both in fiat and cryptocurrency, police intercepted USD 331,000 in a business email compromise fraud involving a Spanish victim who transferred money to Hong Kong, China.
Likewise in another case, authorities in Australia successfully recovered AUD 5.5 million (USD 3.7 million) on behalf of an impersonation scam victim, after the funds were fraudulently transferred to bank accounts in Malaysia and Hong Kong, China.
Director of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), Dr Isaac Kehinde Oginni, said:
“The results of this global police operation are more than just numbers—they represent lives protected, crimes prevented, and a healthier global economy worldwide.
“By confiscating such large amounts of money, and disrupting the networks behind them, we not only safeguard our communities but also deal a significant blow to the transnational organized crime groups that pose such a serious threat to global security.”
On behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security, Yong Wang, Head of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Beijing, said:
“The world is grappling with the severe challenges of social engineering fraud, and organized crime groups are operating from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Africa, with victims on every continent.
“No country is immune to this type of crime, and combating it requires very strong international cooperation.”
Notable achievements from the operation include:
- The dismantling of a sophisticated international scam network in the Namibian capital.
- 88 local youths, who were forced into conducting scams, were rescued.
- Authorities seized 163 computers and 350 mobile phones
- The data they contained was handed over to INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters for analysis.
Similarly, coordination between the Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Centre, and Hong Kong, China, Police Force’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre and local banks prevented an attempted tech support scam, saving a 70-year-old victim from losing SGD 380,000 (USD 281,200) worth of savings.
Joint investigations between Brazilian and Portuguese authorities disrupted several scam networks operating globally.
Operation First Light was strengthened by the participation of four regional policing bodies: AFRIPOL, ASEANAPOL, GCCPOL, and Europol.
Operation First Light activities are funded by China’s Ministry of Public Security, which recently hosted the concluding meeting in Tianjin, bringing participating countries together under one roof to analyze results, share intelligence, and plan future operations.
Operation First Light 2024 commenced in 2023 and culminated in its final tactical phase from March to May 2024.
INTERPOL has been coordinating First Light operations since 2014 to bolster cooperation and intensify efforts by member countries in fighting social engineering and telecom fraud.
Please Rate This Article
Please Leave Us Your Comment
Also, tell us of any topics we might have missed.
Thank you for your comment. You may receive an email to follow up. We never share your data with marketers.
Recent Reader Comments
on A Reflection on Christ’s Suffering and Radical Acceptance of the Worst Possible Outcome – 2025: “A strong message, especially at this time of Easter!” Apr 19, 23:16
on A Small Drop Of Insight About Victims’ Trauma: “This lesson was very impactful for me. I have experiences these short-circuit flashbacks and it does bring back the trauma.…” Apr 19, 16:05
on What is Karma – Not From an Eastern Perspective But From a Psychological Point of View – 2025: “This is so informative! It is absolutely what I see daily and it is a trap anyone can fall into…” Apr 19, 15:43
on The Little Mermaid – A Tale of Self-Deception – A Cautionary Story for Scam Victims – 2025: “This is an appeal not only to parents, grandparents but also teachers. Let’s teach the young to distinguish good from…” Apr 19, 10:46
on What is Karma – Not From an Eastern Perspective But From a Psychological Point of View – 2025: “This is a completely different perspective of karma, that I wasn’t familiar with. I always thought of it as: you…” Apr 18, 20:11
on The Deception of Peter Pan – A New View of a Favorite Story – 2025: “You are right. But the more we look through the lens of criminology, the more we see the patterns.” Apr 18, 16:18
on The Deception of Peter Pan – A New View of a Favorite Story – 2025: “When you dive deep into the stories and realize how they compare to scams it’s amazing” Apr 18, 09:36
Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- SCARS Institute now offers a free recovery program at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
More Interpol Information:
- INTERPOL Financial Fraud Report: The Global Threat Expands Boosted By Technology – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- INTERPOL Warns Of ‘Metacrime’ On The Metaverse – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- INTERPOL Operation HAECHI IV – Over 3,500 Successful Arrests – Expanded Details – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- INTERPOL Identified Networks Linked to Financial Losses of More Than USD $40 Million (scamsnow.com)
- Interpol Operation Jackal – Arrested Over 100 (scamsnow.com)
- INTERPOL Issues Global Warning On Human Trafficking-Fueled Fraud (scamsnow.com)
SCARS Resources:
- Getting Started: ScamVictimsSupport.org
- FREE enrollment in the SCARS Institute training programs for scam victims SCARSeducation.org
- For New Victims of Relationship Scams newvictim.AgainstScams.org
- Subscribe to SCARS Newsletter newsletter.againstscams.org
- Sign up for SCARS professional support & recovery groups, visit support.AgainstScams.org
- Find competent trauma counselors or therapists, visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
- Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
- Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
- Learn more about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
- Learn more about the Psychology of Scams and Scam Victims: ScamPsychology.org
- Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainstScams.org
- Worldwide Crisis Hotlines: International Suicide Hotlines – OpenCounseling : OpenCounseling
- Campaign To End Scam Victim Blaming – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
More ScamsNOW.com Articles
SCARS LINKS: AgainstScams.org RomanceScamsNOW.com ContraEstafas.org ScammerPhotos.com Anyscam.com ScamsNOW.com
reporting.AgainstScams.org support.AgainstScams.org membership.AgainstScams.org donate.AgainstScams.org shop.AgainstScams.org
youtube.AgainstScams.org linkedin.AgainstScams.org facebook.AgainstScams.org
Leave a Reply