Abu Dhabi:The UAE-led Operation Confrontation Ghost has successfully identified over US$39 billion in funds and digital assets connected to fraudulent activities and thwarted more than 123.71 million online fraud attempts worldwide. This operation is part of an international initiative to combat organized digital fraud.
According to Wam, the operation was spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior and involved collaboration from law enforcement authorities across 30 countries, the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), and 13 private-sector partners specializing in technology, digital platforms, and financial services.
The operation led to the arrest of more than 960 defendants, the identification of over 3,500 suspects and 15,500 victims, and the exchange of over 9,000 pieces of intelligence. Additionally, the operation resulted in the blocking of 4,126 bank accounts, the closure of more than 570 social media accounts linked to fraudulent activities, and raids on 29 fraud centers.
Countries and private-sector companies involved are working to recover the assets identified, valued at more than US$39 billion. The operation also secured more than four billion financial transactions each month using tokenization technology, enhancing user data protection and reducing financial fraud risks.
The 30 participating countries included the UAE, the Philippines, Canada, Norway, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, and others. Private-sector partners such as Bayut, Crypto.com, and Huawei played a role in the coordinated efforts to detect fraudulent activities and disrupt criminal networks.
Conducted over three months, from July 1 to September 30, 2026, Operation Confrontation Ghost targeted digital crimes such as AI-enabled fraud, financial fraud through digital platforms, and online sextortion. The results were announced during a UAE-organized event at the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime in Vienna, Austria.
Colonel Dana Al Marzouqi emphasized the importance of unified international efforts and integrated capabilities in combating digital fraud networks. Dr. Monica Kathina Juma praised the operation as a model of international cooperation and highlighted the need for continued improvements in countermeasures against emerging digital crimes.