‘Ghanaian agencies led the operation’ – Sam George challenges FBI over latest fraud crackdown

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations of Ghana, Samuel Nartey George, has challenged the FBI over the portrayal of the recent fraud crackdown in the country as an independent operation. The minister's criticism came in response to a post by FBI Director Kash Patel, who highlighted the results of "Operation Blackout" - a global crackdown on scam centres targeting primarily American citizens.

According to the FBI, the operation in Ghana resulted in over 130 individuals arrested or detained, over 300 devices seized, 89 identified victims and nearly $10 million in identified losses. However, George, who is responsible for cybersecurity, argued that the success of the operation should be seen as a result of international collaboration rather than the work of a single agency.

He stated that Ghanaian law enforcement and intelligence agencies were at the forefront of the actions, with support from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the FBI. George emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating rising cybercrime networks. He warned that describing the FBI's role as solely responsible for the operation could undermine the spirit of cooperation required to tackle increasingly international cybercrime networks.