The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the dismantling of a scam operation in Ghana as part of its global campaign against transnational fraud networks targeting American citizens.
In a post on X on Wednesday, October 8, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel said the Ghana operation, carried out under the bureau's "Operation Blackout" initiative, had identified nearly US$10 million in losses and 89 victims. More than 130 individuals were arrested or detained, including victims who will be repatriated to their home countries, while over 300 devices were seized.
"These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come," Mr Patel said.
The FBI Director said the investigation remains ongoing. The identities of those arrested or detained, the locations of the operations and the specific Ghanaian institutions involved were not disclosed in his post. It is also not yet clear whether any of those arrested will face prosecution in Ghana or extradition proceedings in the United States.
The Ghana operation forms part of Operation Blackout, which the FBI describes as a global effort targeting scam compounds involved in fraud against Americans. Mr Patel has previously said the initiative has resulted in roughly US$17 billion in fraud-related assets being seized, hundreds of arrests, the freeing of thousands of trafficked workers and efforts to warn potential victims before they lose money.
The bureau's separate prevention effort, Operation Level Up, has reportedly contacted more than 10,000 potential victims and prevented hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
Mr Patel has described scam compounds targeted by the operation as large, fortified facilities where trafficked workers are allegedly forced to conduct fraud against victims abroad. He has also said criminal networks are increasingly moving their operations towards Africa as law enforcement pressure increases in Southeast Asia and other regions.
The announcement comes amid growing cooperation between Ghanaian and United States authorities over transnational financial and cybercrime. In July, Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States to face charges over his alleged involvement in a romance-fraud network. The United States Department of Justice said Mr Kumi, 31, was accused of being part of a network that targeted more than 80 elderly victims in the United States and allegedly defrauded them of more than US$8 million.
Mr Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 and extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. United States authorities acknowledged the cooperation of several Ghanaian institutions in securing his arrest and extradition, including the Attorney-General's Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the National Intelligence Bureau and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
Mr Patel ended his announcement on the Ghana operation by saying "More to come," suggesting the bureau's campaign against international scam networks is continuing. The Ghana-specific figures in his post have not been independently verified.
