UAE-led sting flags $39B in scam-linked funds and crypto

A UAE-led international operation against online scam networks has identified more than $39 billion in funds and digital assets tied to fraud and led to over 960 arrests, the country's Ministry of Interior said. The results of Operation Confrontation Ghost were presented in Vienna at the UN conference on transnational organised crime and reported by state news agency WAM. Here are the main points.

Who took part

The operation ran from 1 July to 30 September 2026. It brought together police from 30 countries on five continents, among them the UAE, the UK, Japan, Canada, Brazil, China, Singapore, France, Italy and South Korea, plus Interpol and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance. Thirteen companies joined as private partners, including the exchange Crypto.com, Mastercard, Meta, TikTok, Huawei, Trend Micro and blockchain-forensics firm Group-IB.

What it targeted

Organisers named three fast-growing threats: AI-enabled fraud (for example deepfake voices and faces used to win trust), financial fraud run through digital platforms, and sextortion, which often targets teenagers. Many of these schemes ask victims to pay or "invest" in crypto because transfers are fast and hard to reverse, which is why exchanges and analytics firms were part of the effort.

The numbers

• More than 960 arrests, over 3,500 suspects and about 15,500 victims identified.
• 29 fraud centres raided and more than 570 social media accounts shut down.
• 4,126 bank accounts linked to fraud identified and blocked.
• Over 123.7 million online fraud attempts thwarted and more than 9,000 pieces of intelligence exchanged.

What the $39 billion means

The headline figure covers funds and cryptocurrencies identified as linked to scams, not money already returned to victims. The ministry said participating countries and companies are now working to recover those assets. It did not break down how much of the total is crypto rather than bank balances. The scale is still striking next to recent actions such as Interpol's Serengeti III sweep in Africa and the extradition of an alleged Cambodian scam boss to the US.

How to protect yourself

Scam compounds rely on the same playbook: a friendly contact, a "guaranteed" trading platform and pressure to send more money before you can withdraw. Our guide on how to spot crypto scams lists the warning signs. Never share a seed phrase with anyone, however official they seem.