The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has dismantled a major scam operation in Ghana, arresting or detaining more than 130 people and identifying nearly $10 million in losses linked to fraud targeting American citizens, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Thursday.
In a post on X, Patel said the Ghana operation had so far identified 89 victims and that more than 300 devices had been seized during the raid. The operation forms part of the bureau’s global Operation Blackout, a coordinated campaign against transnational fraud networks operating through so-called “scam compounds” — large, fortified facilities where trafficked workers are allegedly forced to conduct fraud against victims abroad.
“These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” Patel said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing.
Victims Among the Detained
According to Patel’s account, some of those detained in Ghana are themselves victims of trafficking who will be repatriated to their home countries. The identities of those arrested or detained, the locations of the operations and the specific Ghanaian institutions involved have not been disclosed. 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 is the latest in a series of international actions under Operation Blackout. 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.
A Growing Partnership
The announcement comes amid growing cooperation between Ghanaian and US 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 US Department of Justice said 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. Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 and extradited to the US on July 9, 2026. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, and could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
US authorities acknowledged the cooperation of several Ghanaian institutions in securing his arrest and extradition, including the Attorney-General’s Office, Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana Police Service, Cyber Security Authority, National Intelligence Bureau and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
The FBI formally established a Legal Attaché Office — known within the bureau as a “Legat” — inside the US Embassy compound in Accra in July 2026. The office, which does not hold independent arrest powers on Ghanaian soil, is designed to work with local security agencies to investigate romance scams and other transnational fraud networks.
Shifting Operations to Africa
Patel has described scam compounds targeted by Operation Blackout 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 FBI’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. Launched in January 2024, the initiative uses sophisticated techniques to identify victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and notify them before further losses occur. As of March 2026, the program had notified 8,935 victims, 77% of whom were unaware they were being scammed, saving an estimated $562 million.
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 FBI has not provided further details on the identities of those arrested in Ghana or the precise location and nature of the operation.
