A coordinated international anti-fraud operation spanning 97 countries and territories has resulted in the arrest of 5,811 suspects and the recovery of approximately $293 million in illicit assets linked to financial crimes and online scams.
The operation, codenamed Operation First Light 2026, was spearheaded by INTERPOL and conducted between January 15 and April 30, 2026.
It primarily targeted social engineering scams and associated money laundering networks, including business email compromise, romance scams, impersonation fraud, investment scams, and sextortion.
According to INTERPOL, the operation combined intelligence gathering with extensive cross-border collaboration, leading to large-scale enforcement actions.
Authorities carried out coordinated raids, froze bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, issued international notices, and utilized INTERPOL’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system to halt suspicious financial transactions.
The scale of the operation highlighted the growing threat of cyber-enabled fraud, with over 142,000 victims identified globally.
In total, law enforcement agencies analyzed 152,808 cases, blocked 31,014 bank accounts, resolved 23,715 cases, and identified 15,606 suspects.
Significant breakthroughs were recorded in multiple countries.
In Eswatini, 82 suspects were arrested in connection with an illegal online gambling and impersonation network. Authorities dismantled the operation and recovered 240 electronic devices, foreign currencies, and equipment used to stage fake law enforcement setups.
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In Thailand, two suspects linked to a romance scam and cryptocurrency laundering ring were apprehended, with investigations revealing that one digital wallet processed over $122.5 million in illicit transactions within ten months.
Meanwhile, a joint effort by authorities in Singapore and Oman successfully blocked a fraudulent transfer of $6.6 million tied to a business email compromise scheme.
In Macao, police prevented a victim from transferring nearly $372,000 to fraudsters posing as government officials during a proactive outreach intervention.
Elsewhere, authorities in Palau deported 22 individuals allegedly involved in scam operations run from hotels targeting foreign victims through cryptocurrency and illegal gambling platforms.
Speaking on the operation’s outcome, INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre emphasized the persistent threat posed by social engineering scams, noting that criminal networks continue to exploit human psychology to defraud victims.
The agency reiterated that global cooperation remains critical in tackling increasingly sophisticated cybercrime networks and ensuring a unified response to financial fraud worldwide.
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