Interpol announced today that approximately 5,800 people have been arrested and around $300 million (€262.45 million) seized in a global operation targeting social engineering and psychological manipulation fraud.
The coordinated crackdown, named “First Light 2026,” took place between January and April and involved police forces across 97 countries. The operation targeted fraudulent schemes that exploit human trust to steal money or sensitive credentials. These included business email compromise (BEC), sextortion, romance scams, identity theft, and investment fraud.
According to Interpol, the identification of 142,000 victims highlights how this brand of fraud has evolved into a massive transnational threat impacting individuals, businesses, and governments alike.
The international police organization, headquartered in Lyon, France, highlighted several high-profile interventions executed during the multi-month campaign:
Read more: São Tomé: former special adviser to PM wanted by Interpol arrested
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Eswatini: Authorities arrested 82 suspects and dismantled a criminal syndicate that operated illegal online gambling rings and laundered funds generated from sophisticated identity theft scams.
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Brazil: Investigations led to the seizure of a realistic replica of a Brazilian police station, complete with counterfeit uniforms. Fraudsters posed as Brazilian Federal Police officers during video calls to convince victims they were under criminal investigation, coercing them into transferring funds into “safe accounts” that were subsequently stolen.
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Macau & Singapore: In Macau, fake public officials convinced a victim to transfer money under the guise of a fraud investigation. Authorities arrested the suspects shortly before the victim could transfer $372,000 (€325,440). In Singapore, a raw materials trading company was successfully targeted by criminals impersonating a legitimate supplier.
