Africa is increasingly becoming a hub from which cybercriminals operate internationally. The British newspaper The Guardian writes this on the basis of conversations with police and investigators. According to experts, cybercrime is booming due to the rapid growth of internet use in combination with weak and lagging justice systems.
The coronavirus pandemic has proved to be an important catalyst in this process: it has given a huge boost to global digitization. But a life largely online has its downsides. Interpol describes online scams such as bank and credit card fraud as “the most widespread and urgent cyber threat in Africa”. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the number of attacks on online banking platforms has doubled.
Black Axe
Earlier this month, Interpol-led police arrested more than 70 cybercriminals in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the United States. All those arrested have ties to the Nigerian crime network Black Ax. Black Ax was founded in the 1970s as a student movement in Benin, but has since grown into a global crime network specializing in fraud.
Black Ax doesn’t just deal with fraud, the money generated by the gang is reinvested in the trafficking of women, weapons and the international meth trade.
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Not only Nigeria, but also Kenya is a major digital extortion hub, according to the FBI and Interpol, while South Africa is a major base for organized criminals operating across the continent. Many cyber scammers in Africa are hackers or use online dating sites and apps to engage victims in fictitious romantic relationships to extort money or personal and financial information.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
