INTERPOL recently concluded a massive international crackdown known as Operation Synergia III, resulting in the dismantling of 45,000 malicious servers and the arrest of 94 individuals across 72 countries. This coordinated effort targeted a wide range of cyber threats, including ransomware, phishing, and social engineering schemes that victimized people globally.
In a massive international effort spanning 72 countries and territories, INTERPOL coordinated the takedown of 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers used to facilitate phishing, malware, and ransomware. This law enforcement operation resulted in 94 arrests and left over 100 other individuals under investigation. During the various raids conducted at key locations, authorities seized 212 electronic devices and servers to further dismantle the infrastructure used by these criminal networks.
The crackdown saw significant activity in Bangladesh, where law enforcement arrested 40 suspects and confiscated 134 electronic devices. These individuals were allegedly involved in a variety of cybercrime offenses, such as identity theft, credit card fraud, and deceptive loan or job scams. This specific intervention highlights the scale of organized digital fraud and the physical hardware required to maintain these illicit operations across the region.
Authorities in Togo also made strides by apprehending 10 suspects who were reportedly running a fraud ring out of a residential neighborhood. The group utilized a mix of technical hacking and social engineering to target victims, often compromising social media accounts to launch more personal attacks. These activities included romance scams and sextortion, demonstrating the diverse and predatory methods used by these criminal groups to exploit individuals.
The fraudsters typically operated by gaining unauthorized access to a victim's social media account and then impersonating them to contact their friends and family. By posing as the original account holder, the criminals built fake romantic relationships or manipulated online contacts through emotional appeals. The primary goal of these social engineering schemes was to deceive secondary victims into sending money transfers under false pretenses.
Finally, law enforcement in Macau identified more than 33,000 fraudulent websites designed to look like legitimate banks, government services, or online casinos. These phishing sites were engineered to trick users into entering sensitive personal information or topping up account balances that did not exist. This phase of the operation, which ran from mid-2025 into early 2026, continues a multi-year global initiative to reduce the reach of malicious digital infrastructure.
Source: Interpol Dismantles 45,000 Malicious IPs And Arrests 94 In Global Cybercrime Operation