FBI Director Kash Patel says a scam operation in Ghana has been dismantled this week as part of the bureau's global Operation Blackout campaign against transnational fraud networks, MyJoyOnline reported on 8 October 2026.
In a post on X, Patel said the Ghana operation had so far identified nearly US$10 million in losses and 89 victims, while more than 130 people had been arrested or detained. He also said more than 300 devices had been seized. The investigation remains ongoing, according to the post as reported by MyJoyOnline.
Patel said some of those detained in Ghana are victims who will be repatriated to their home countries. "These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives," Patel wrote, adding: "More to come." The FBI describes Operation Blackout as a global effort targeting scam compounds involved in fraud against Americans.
MyJoyOnline reported that the identities of those arrested or detained, the locations of the operations in Ghana, and the specific Ghanaian institutions involved have not been disclosed in Patel's post. It is also not yet clear from that reporting whether any of those arrested will face prosecution in Ghana or extradition proceedings in the United States.
Patel linked the Ghana action to wider Operation Blackout totals he has cited, including large-scale asset seizures and arrests elsewhere. MyJoyOnline noted that the announcement comes amid growing cooperation between Ghanaian and US authorities on transnational financial and cybercrime, citing the separate July 2026 extradition of Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi (also known as Abu Trica) to the United States on romance-fraud related charges. That earlier case is distinct from the figures Patel gave for this week's Ghana takedown.
As of this report, no separate confirmation from the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, EOCO or other Ghanaian agencies detailing the location, date or local charges had been found in major Ghanaian outlets beyond coverage of Patel's statement.