Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency exchange has joined international law enforcement agencies and global technology companies in a coordinated crackdown on scam networks operating from West Africa. The operation known as Joint Disruption Week led to 28 arrests across Ghana and Nigeria.
Online scams are one of the fastest growing threats facing consumers today. Organised criminal groups recruit and train workers, often including people who have been trafficked, to run fake investment schemes, impersonate police officers and stage fake arrests over video calls to scare victims into sending money.
During the operation investigators and private sector partners shared intelligence in real time across borders. In Ghana authorities arrested 19 people near Accra, seized 303 electronic devices and identified 117 victims of human trafficking. According to the US Department of Justice private sector partners including Binance identified more than $11 million in funds that could potentially be frozen.
Binance’s contribution draws on years of investment in compliance which it sees as an ongoing investment in user protection, not simply a regulatory requirement. Binance invests approximately $300 million a year in compliance with nearly 1,500 employees working in compliance-related functions. Its systems have intercepted approximately $10.53 billion in potential fraud, scams and irregular activity between 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
“Scammers don’t keep within borders so the response cannot stop at borders either,” said Samukele Mkhize, Compliance Head for Binance Africa. “When law enforcement, technology companies and exchanges share what they know in real time criminal networks lose the tools they depend on. We are proud to stand with the investigators across West Africa who made this operation possible.”
Joint Disruption Week builds on a long record of cooperation. Binance has supported authorities across 313,653 law enforcement requests to date. In 2025 alone it processed more than 71,000 requests helping prevent $6.69 billion in potential fraud losses for users.
Binance pairs this work with free education through Binance Academy which is open to everyone without an account so that people can learn to recognise the warning signs of a scam before they lose money.
“Enforcement removes the criminals but education removes the opportunity,” Mkhize said. “Most scams rely on pressure and panic. If someone promises returns that sound too good to be true or says you must pay urgently, this is a red flag to pause and verify. No genuine investment platform will ever rush an individual to move their crypto.”
As Africa’s digital economy grows Binance remains committed to working closely with regulators, law enforcement and industry partners to make crypto safer for everyone who uses it. Operations like Joint Disruption Week show what is possible when the public and private sectors act together.
