UAE-Led Global Operation Blocks 123m Online Fraud Attempts and Identifies $39bn Assets

A UAE-led international operation thwarted over 123.71 million online fraud attempts and identified more than $39 billion in fraud-linked assets. The three-month crackdown involved law enforcement from 30 countries, including China, alongside international organisations and major private technology firms. The initiative led to the arrest of over 960 individuals, the blocking of 4,126 bank accounts, and raids on 29 fraud centres.

Published October 22, 2026 Source: Arabian Business

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中文 Chinese version
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Issuing authority: UAE Ministry of Interior
Jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates
Publication date: October 21, 2026
Official source: news.google.com

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A three-month international law enforcement initiative led by the UAE Ministry of Interior, titled Operation Confrontation Ghost, thwarted more than 123.71 million online fraud attempts worldwide and identified over $39 billion in fraud-linked funds and digital assets, Arabian Business reported.

The operation, conducted from July 1 to September 30, 2026, brought together law enforcement agencies from 30 countries, two international organisations, and 13 private-sector partners. The results were officially presented in Vienna, Austria, on the sidelines of the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

Authorities arrested more than 960 defendants, identified over 3,500 suspects and 15,500 victims, and exchanged more than 9,000 intelligence items. Enforcement actions also included blocking 4,126 bank accounts, closing more than 570 fraudulent social media accounts, and raiding 29 fraud centres. Participating governments, judicial bodies, and private firms are currently working to recover the identified $39 billion in assets.

The operation focused on AI-enabled fraud, online sextortion, and digital platform financial crimes. The UAE Ministry of Interior also stated that the deployment of tokenisation technology helped protect data and mitigate fraud risks across more than four billion financial transactions each month.

Participating nations included the UAE, China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Singapore, France, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the Republic of Korea, among others. Law enforcement coordinated with INTERPOL, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), and 13 commercial tech and payment firms, including Huawei, TikTok, Mastercard, Meta, Crypto.com, Group-IB, and Trend Micro.