Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has called out FBI Director Kash Patel over his portrayal of a cyber fraud crackdown in Ghana as an FBI-led operation without acknowledging the contributions of Ghanaian and UK authorities.
George said Ghanaian law enforcement and intelligence agencies led the Cyberhunt operations, with primary support from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the FBI.
His comments followed a post by Patel announcing the Ghana operation as part of the FBI’s global “Operation Blackout”, which targets scam centres accused of defrauding victims, including American citizens.
Patel stated that more than 130 people had been arrested or detained in Ghana, with investigators identifying nearly US$10 million in losses and 89 victims. More than 300 devices were also seized, according to the FBI Director, who said the investigation was ongoing.
Patel described the operation as another takedown by the FBI under Operation Blackout, saying the bureau was targeting scam compounds “in every corner of the world”.
George, however, objected to the portrayal of the operation, arguing that the results were achieved through cooperation between Ghanaian and international law enforcement agencies and warned that suggesting the FBI had acted alone could affect future cooperation in the fight against cybercrime.
“Ghanaian law enforcement and intelligence led the Cyberhunt operations, with primary support from the UK @NCA_UK and the @FBI you lead. To suggest the @FBI acted solely to execute this operation in your tweet undermines the potential for future collaboration. I expect that you will reflect on the benefits of our continued cooperation and act accordingly,” Sam George wrote in a direct response to Patel
The minister’s comments come amid increased cooperation between Ghanaian and US authorities on transnational cybercrime. A day before Patel’s announcement, the Cyber Security Authority hosted a delegation from the US Department of Justice and the FBI for discussions on strengthening cooperation to identify and dismantle cybercriminal networks.
The CSA has also stressed the increasingly cross-border nature of cybercrime, with its Director-General, Divine Selase Agbeti, calling for stronger collaboration among regulators, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders. The authority recorded 3,876 cybersecurity incidents between January and July 2026, with online fraud accounting for about 47% of reported incidents.
Ghanaian authorities have separately highlighted joint operations with international partners in tackling cybercrime. The Cyber Security Authority and Ghana Police Service have worked on investigations targeting suspected cybercriminal networks, while Ghana has also cooperated with US authorities in cases involving alleged fraud against American victims.
In July, US authorities acknowledged the cooperation of Ghana’s Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana Police Service, Cyber Security Authority, National Intelligence Bureau and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra in the arrest and extradition of Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica. Kumi was extradited to the United States to face charges linked to an alleged romance-fraud network.
The latest dispute therefore centres not on whether the FBI participated in the Ghana operation, but on how the roles of the different agencies involved were represented publicly.
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