INTERPOL coordinated arrests across 97 countries in a four-month anti-fraud operation.
Authorities intercepted $293 million in fiat and crypto assets.
One Thai suspect’s wallet processed over $122.5 million in romance scam proceeds.
China’s Ministry of Public Security funded the operation, raising political questions.
INTERPOL announced on July 9 that Operation First Light 2026, a coordinated anti-fraud campaign involving 97 countries and territories, produced 5,811 arrests and intercepted $293 million in illicit assets between January 15 and April 30. The operation targeted social engineering fraud, the family of scams that manipulates human trust rather than software vulnerabilities, along with the laundering infrastructure that moves the proceeds. Investigators identified over 142,000 victims worldwide in a four-month window, and the recovered funds cover only a small fraction of what the fraud economy generates in a year.
A Fake Brazilian Police Station and a Wallet That Mov
