The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says its international operation targeting scam-centre fraud has led to the seizure of about US$17 billion, the arrest of hundreds of suspected scammers and the release of thousands of trafficked workers.

The agency also said Operation Blackout had helped protect more than 10,000 Americans from losing money, preventing estimated losses of US$670 million.

In a post on X on Sunday, October 11, 2026, FBI Director Kashyap Pramod Patel acknowledged the contribution of Ghanaian authorities to the operation.

His statement followed an earlier post about the Ghana element of the crackdown, in which he said investigators had uncovered nearly US$10 million in losses, identified 89 victims, arrested or detained more than 130 people and seized over 300 devices.

That account prompted a strong response from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, which rejected any suggestion that the operation had been independently designed, led or carried out by the FBI.

The authority said the Ghana exercise, known as Operation Cyber Hunt, was planned, coordinated and conducted by Ghanaian institutions under the country’s own legal and institutional framework.

It said leadership and coordination came from the Cyber Security Authority, with assistance from Ghana’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, the FBI, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria, the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.

Raids and rescued trafficking victims

Raids on suspected cybercrime sites in the Greater Accra Region resulted in eight arrests and the rescue of 120 potential trafficking victims.

Most of those rescued were Nigerians and were allegedly being forced to take part in online fraud, including romance scams.

Investigators recovered 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, four vehicles, jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports. Repatriation work and further investigations are continuing.

The Cyber Security Authority stressed that Ghana is a sovereign republic governed by its Constitution and laws. It said foreign law-enforcement bodies had no independent power to exercise police authority or make arrests in the country.

However, the authority recognised the intelligence provided by the FBI and the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom.

It called on the FBI to correct or clarify its public description of the Ghana-led operation and to recognise the work carried out by Ghanaian institutions and the other international partners involved.

“The Authority remains available for constructive engagement to ensure that the public record reflects the respective roles of all participating agencies,” it said.