FBI dismantles alleged scam operation in Ghana; 130 suspects arrest and over 300 devices seized
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has dismantled a scam operation in Ghana as part of an international crackdown on transnational fraud networks targeting American citizens.
FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed the development in a post on X on Wednesday, October 8, 2026, saying the operation in Ghana was conducted under the bureau’s “Operation Blackout” initiative.
According to Mr Patel, the operation identified nearly US$10 million in losses involving 89 victims. More than 130 people were arrested or detained, while over 300 electronic devices were seized.
He said some of those detained were victims who would be repatriated to their respective home countries.
“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.
The FBI Director said investigations into the operation were continuing.
However, his post did not disclose the identities of those arrested or detained, the specific locations of the alleged operations or the Ghanaian institutions involved. It also remains unclear whether those arrested will face prosecution in Ghana or extradition proceedings in the United States.
The Ghana operation forms part of Operation Blackout, which the FBI describes as a global campaign targeting scam compounds involved in fraud against Americans.
Mr Patel has previously said the initiative has led to the seizure of roughly US$17 billion in fraud-related assets, hundreds of arrests and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers. The campaign has also included efforts to alert potential victims before they lose money.
The FBI’s separate prevention initiative, Operation Level Up, has reportedly contacted more than 10,000 potential victims and helped prevent hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
Mr Patel has described scam compounds as large, fortified facilities where trafficked workers are allegedly forced to carry out fraudulent schemes against victims in other countries.
He has also said criminal networks are increasingly shifting their operations towards Africa as law enforcement pressure intensifies in Southeast Asia and other regions.
The latest announcement comes against the backdrop of increasing cooperation between Ghanaian and US authorities in tackling transnational financial and cybercrime.
In July, 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.
According to the US Department of Justice, 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, to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
US authorities acknowledged the cooperation of several Ghanaian institutions in securing his arrest and extradition, including the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the National Intelligence Bureau and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
Mr Patel concluded his announcement on the Ghana operation with the words “More to come,” indicating that the FBI’s international campaign against scam networks remains ongoing.
The Ghana-specific figures contained in his post have not been independently verified.