An international law enforcement operation led by the United Arab Emirates has uncovered more than $39 billion in funds and digital assets tied to fraudulent activities while preventing over 123 million online fraud attempts globally. Conducted from July 1 to September 30, 2026, Operation Confrontation Ghost brought together authorities from 30 countries, along with the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), and 13 private-sector collaborators specializing in technology, digital platforms, and financial services.
The crackdown resulted in the arrest of more than 960 individuals suspected of involvement in organized digital fraud, the identification of over 3,500 suspects, and the recognition of approximately 15,500 victims worldwide. Over 9,000 pieces of intelligence were exchanged among participants, contributing to the disruption of criminal networks across multiple jurisdictions.
In addition to arrests, the operation led to the blocking of 4,126 bank accounts and the closure of more than 570 social media profiles linked to illicit activities. Authorities also conducted raids on 29 fraud centers, aiming to dismantle the infrastructure supporting these schemes. Participants are actively collaborating to recover the seized assets, which are valued at over $39 billion.
The operation addressed three primary categories of digital crime: fraud leveraging artificial intelligence, financial fraud conducted through digital platforms, and online sextortion. By fostering intensified international cooperation and real-time intelligence sharing, the initiative sought to accelerate the detection of suspicious activity, track illicit financial flows, and improve responses to emerging digital threats.
The 30 countries involved included the UAE, the Philippines, Canada, Norway, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Romania, Kuwait, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Denmark, Myanmar, Brazil, Jordan, Italy, the Maldives, Singapore, Sweden, China, Senegal, France, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Slovakia, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Korea. The private-sector partners behind the effort comprised companies such as Bayut, Crypto.com, dubizzle, Feedzai, Ghostly Solutions, Group-IB, Huawei, Mastercard, Miya Pico, Meta, Outseer, TikTok, and Trend Micro.
Colonel Dana Al Marzouqi, Director-General of the International Affairs Bureau at the UAE Ministry of Interior, emphasized that the operation highlighted the critical role of integrated security and technological capabilities in combating cross-border digital fraud. She noted that closer coordination among law enforcement agencies and timely intelligence sharing were key factors in tracing illicit activities and translating shared information into actionable measures against criminal networks.
Dr. Monica Kathina Juma, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), praised Operation Confrontation Ghost as an exemplary demonstration of global cooperation addressing evolving forms of crime in the digital age.
The operation also contributed to securing more than four billion financial transactions monthly by employing tokenization technology, which enhances user data protection and reduces the risk of financial fraud. This effort reflects a growing recognition of the need for public-private partnerships and international coordination to confront increasingly sophisticated cybercrime threats.