….More than 130 arrested, 89 victims identified
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has disclosed that more than 130 people have been arrested or detained in Ghana as part of an ongoing global operation targeting scam compounds accused of defrauding victims, including American citizens.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the operation in Ghana had so far identified nearly US$10 million in losses and 89 victims, while more than 300 electronic devices had been seized.
Mr Patel made the disclosure in a post on X on Thursday, October 8, 2026, announcing the Ghana operation under the FBI’s global “Operation Blackout” initiative, which targets transnational fraud networks.
The FBI Director said those arrested or detained included victims of human trafficking who were expected to be repatriated to their home countries.
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“These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” Mr Patel said.
He did not disclose the identities of those arrested or detained, the locations of the alleged scam operations, or the specific Ghanaian institutions involved in the operation.
It is also unclear whether any of the suspects arrested in Ghana will face prosecution locally or be subject to extradition proceedings in the United States.
According to Mr Patel, the Ghana operation forms part of the wider Operation Blackout, which the FBI describes as a global campaign against scam compounds involved in fraud targeting Americans.
He said the broader operation had so far resulted in roughly US$17 billion in fraud-related assets being seized, while hundreds of alleged scammers had been arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.
The FBI has also undertaken measures to warn potential victims before they lose money.
Mr Patel said the bureau’s separate prevention initiative, Operation Level Up, had contacted more than 10,000 potential victims and helped prevent an estimated US$670 million in losses.
The FBI has previously described scam compounds targeted under the initiative as large, fortified facilities where trafficked workers are allegedly forced to conduct fraudulent schemes against victims in other countries.
Mr Patel has also warned that criminal networks are increasingly relocating their operations to Africa as law enforcement pressure intensifies in Southeast Asia and other regions.
The latest FBI announcement comes amid growing cooperation between Ghanaian and United States authorities in tackling transnational financial and cybercrime.
In July 2026, Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States to face charges over his alleged involvement in a romance-fraud network.
The United States Department of Justice said Mr Kumi, 31, was allegedly part of a network that targeted more than 80 elderly victims in the United States and defrauded them of more than US$8 million.
He was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 and extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026.
Mr Kumi faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
US authorities acknowledged the assistance of several Ghanaian institutions in securing his arrest and extradition, including the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the National Intelligence Bureau and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
The FBI has not indicated when the Ghana investigation will be completed or provided further details about the identities of those arrested or detained.
The bureau also did not disclose the precise nature of the alleged fraud schemes uncovered in Ghana or the identities of the 89 victims.
The Ghana-specific figures announced by Mr Patel have not been independently verified.
However, his closing remark that there was “More to come” suggests that the FBI’s investigation into international scam networks, including operations in Ghana, remains active.
