Abu Dhabi: The UAE-led Operation Confrontation Ghost has identified more than US$39 billion in funds and digital assets linked to fraudulent activities and thwarted over 123.71 million online fraud attempts worldwide, as part of an international effort to combat organised digital fraud.
Led by the Ministry of Interior, the operation brought together law enforcement authorities from 30 countries, the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), and 13 private-sector partners specialising in technology, digital platforms and financial services.
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The operation resulted in the arrest of more than 960 defendants, the identification of over 3,500 suspects and 15,500 victims, and the exchange of more than 9,000 pieces of intelligence.
It also led to 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 centres.
Participating countries, judicial authorities and private-sector companies are working to recover the identified assets, valued at more than US$39 billion.
The operation also helped secure more than four billion financial transactions each month through tokenisation technology, strengthening user data protection and reducing financial fraud risks.
The 30 participating countries were the UAE, the Philippines, Canada, Norway, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Romania, Kuwait, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Denmark, Myanmar, Brazil, Jordan, Italy, the Maldives, Singapore, Sweden, China, Senegal, France, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Slovakia, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.
The operation involved 13 private-sector partners specialising in technology, financial services and digital platforms: Bayut, Crypto.com, dubizzle, Feedzai, Ghostly Solutions, Group-IB, Huawei, Mastercard, Miya Pico, Meta, Outseer, TikTok and Trend Micro.
Their participation reflected coordinated efforts across government, technology and financial sectors to detect fraudulent activities, disrupt criminal networks and prevent the misuse of digital platforms.
Conducted over three months, from 1st July to 30th September 2026, Operation Confrontation Ghost targeted three major forms of digital crime: AI-enabled fraud, financial fraud through digital platforms, and online sextortion.
The operation focused on strengthening international cooperation, intelligence sharing, tracking criminal activities and accelerating responses to digital threats.
Its results were announced during a UAE-organised side event at the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, held in Vienna, Austria, from 19th to 23rd October 2026. The event highlighted coordinated international efforts to tackle organised digital fraud.
Colonel Dana Al Marzouqi, Director-General of the International Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Interior, said the operation demonstrated the importance of unified international efforts and integrated security and technological capabilities in combating digital fraud networks that exploit online platforms, financial services and emerging technologies to conduct cross-border criminal activities.
She said the Ministry of Interior continues to strengthen cooperation with countries, international organisations, and technology and financial services companies to combat transnational digital fraud, protect individuals and institutions, pursue those responsible and ensure accountability.
She added that real-time intelligence sharing and closer coordination among law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities help accelerate the detection of suspicious activities, trace illicit financial flows and translate shared intelligence and expertise into practical measures targeting criminal networks.
Dr. Monica Kathina Juma, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), described Operation Confrontation Ghost as a model of international cooperation in addressing emerging forms of crime.
She said the operation brought together 30 countries, 13 private-sector partners and two international organisations to combat AI-enabled fraud, digital financial crime and technology-facilitated sexual extortion.
Dr. Juma praised the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his continued support for efforts to strengthen international cooperation.
She commended the UAE's role in uniting international efforts and coordinating partnerships to ensure the operation's success, reflecting the UAE leadership's commitment to collective international action and strengthening global security and stability.
She stressed that the growing use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in fraud, alongside the exploitation of digital platforms, bank accounts and cryptocurrencies to transfer funds and conceal their origins, requires continued improvements in countermeasures and stronger international coordination and cooperation.