A global anti-fraud operation coordinated by INTERPOL has uncovered the growing use of cryptocurrencies in international fraud schemes, leading to 5,811 arrests and the seizure or freezing of $293 million in illicit assets.
Operation First Light 2026, which ran from January 15 to April 30, brought together law enforcement agencies from 97 countries and territories. The campaign targeted social engineering scams, including investment fraud, romance scams, business email compromise, and impersonation schemes, while also tracking the money laundering networks used to move stolen funds.
Authorities analyzed more than 152,000 cases, identified over 142,000 victims, solved 23,715 investigations, blocked 31,014 bank accounts, and identified 15,606 suspects.
🚨 5,800+ arrests, USD 293 million intercepted across 97 countries
The results of Operation First Light 2026 highlight the global scale of social engineering fraud and associated money laundering.
Coordinated by INTERPOL, the operation targeted the criminal networks behind… pic.twitter.com/ArRit7NmMp
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) July 9, 2026
Crypto played a central role in moving stolen funds
Several investigations have shown that criminal groups used cryptocurrencies to disguise the movement of stolen money.
In Thailand, police arrested two suspects linked to a laundering network that converted proceeds from romance scams into cryptocurrencies before moving the funds across different blockchain networks through multiple token swaps. Investigators said one suspect’s digital wallet processed more than $122.5 million in just 10 months.
Authorities in Singapore and Oman also stopped a $6.6 million transfer connected to a business email compromise attack by using INTERPOL’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system, which can quickly freeze both fiat and crypto transactions. In Palau, authorities deported 22 people accused of operating scam centres from hotels, where victims were targeted through cryptocurrency and illegal gambling websites.
Global cooperation mattered more than blockchain tracking
Operation First Light showed that tracing cryptocurrency transactions alone is rarely enough to dismantle international fraud networks. While blockchain records can help investigators follow the movement of funds, identifying the people behind those wallets often depends on cooperation between banks, crypto exchanges, payment providers, and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries.
Authorities in Thailand traced funds moved through cryptocurrencies, while Singapore and Oman worked together to stop a fraudulent transfer before it could be withdrawn. In Eswatini, investigators requested INTERPOL forensic support to examine seized digital devices, adding another layer to the investigation.
The operation brought together agencies from 97 countries and territories, showing how modern financial crime routinely crosses borders. As fraud networks spread their operations across different jurisdictions, successful investigations increasingly depend on information sharing and coordinated enforcement rather than blockchain analysis alone.
In another development, the FBI sounded the alarm over a fast-spreading fraud tactic in which con artists pose as attorneys to prey on people who have already lost money in cryptocurrency
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