BURKINA FASO · CYBERCRIME
Key Facts
- —What is happening Burkina Faso’s central cybercrime police unit said on Friday, 23 October 2026 that online scams and related offences cost victims more than 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) from 2020 to 2025.
- —Why it matters It is a rare official yardstick for online fraud in a military led Sahel state, and the total is higher than the 6.7 billion FCFA (about US$11.5 million) given a year earlier.
- —The numbers More than 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) for 2020 to 2025, against more than 6.7 billion FCFA (about US$11.5 million) for 2020 to 2024 as stated in October 2025.
- —Who is who The unit is the BCLCC, Burkina Faso’s central brigade against cybercrime, and its commander, Commissaire principal Bayi Akim Nignan, presented the figure at a press briefing in Ouagadougou.
- —What to watch The second national week against cybercrime runs from Monday, 26 October to Friday, 30 October 2026, with panels, a forum and a hackathon on digital investigations.
- —What it means for you The briefing named no foreign victims, but the State Department already rates Burkina Faso Level 4, Do Not Travel, and the police flagged fraud in mobile money and online commerce.
Burkina Faso cybercrime police say online fraud cost victims over 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) from 2020 to 2025. The figure came on Friday, 23 October, a few days before a national awareness week.
Burkina Faso cybercrime has cost victims more than 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) from 2020 to 2025, police say. Senior commissioner Bayi Akim Nignan gave the figure at a press briefing in Ouagadougou on Friday, 23 October 2026, as Burkina24 reported.
He commands the Brigade centrale de lutte contre la cybercriminalité, known by its French initials BCLCC. The unit was previewing the second national week against cybercrime, which opens on Monday, 26 October.
For foreign readers, the number is a rare official yardstick for online fraud. It comes from a country that the State Department rates Level 4, Do Not Travel.
What the Burkina Faso Cybercrime Figure Covers
The BCLCC says the losses come from scams and other offences committed in Burkina Faso’s national cyberspace. The total of more than 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) covers the period from 2020 to 2025.
The unit gave no yearly split, so the figure cannot be turned into an annual average. Burkina24’s subheading speaks of five years, although the text gives 2020 to 2025, which spans six calendar years.
Conversions use about 584.8 FCFA per US$, from the euro peg of 655.957 FCFA per euro and the 23 October euro rate. The FCFA, or CFA franc, is shared by eight West African states, and one FCFA is worth about US$0.0017.
How Reported Losses Have Grown Since 2025
The same unit gave a lower total a year ago. Sidwaya and Le Pays put the 2020 to 2024 total at over 6.7 billion FCFA (about US$11.5 million).
The gap between the two totals is roughly 2.3 billion FCFA (about US$3.9 million). Because both are stated as “more than”, the exact amount logged for 2025 cannot be worked out.
Earlier totals were lower still. Osiris reported over 3 billion FCFA (about US$5.1 million) for 2020 to 2023, cited at a platform launch on 11 February 2025.
One 2025 operation shows what individual cases look like. Cyber Balayage 2025 led to 22 arrests, with 11 people referred to prosecutors, Burkina24 reported on Thursday, 4 December 2025.
Nearly 25 victims were identified, and their losses totalled 18,516,440 FCFA (about US$31,700). Police seized 9,106,027 FCFA (about US$15,600), 16 mobile phones and one laptop.
Which Online Threats Police Say Are Rising
Nignan listed cyber scams, video blackmail, attacks on computer systems and the spread of illegal content and false information. He also named violations of privacy and reputation, and impersonation of public institutions through misuse of their logos and emblems.
He said such impersonation can erode public trust. Video blackmail, often called sextortion, means threatening to release intimate footage unless the victim pays.
Nignan flagged cryptocurrencies, online investment platforms and digital betting as emerging risks linked to financial fraud and money laundering. He also pointed to fraud involving mobile money, mobile banking and online commerce.
He warned that clicking a link, sharing it or commenting on it can amount to an offence. He urged ethical use of social media and more caution with posts, since digital content is permanent.
What the National Week Against Cybercrime Will Include
The BCLCC initiated the national week, which runs from Monday, 26 October to Friday, 30 October 2026. The second Semaine nationale de lutte contre la cybercriminalité carries the theme “Cybercrime and emerging digital threats: from click to crime”.
Planned events include panels, a forum, awareness caravans, open days and a Maracana tournament, a local sports event. They also include an evening for stakeholders called the Nuit des acteurs and a hackathon on tracing digital evidence.
The first week ran from 27 to 31 October 2025, with Orange Burkina Faso as a partner, Burkina24 reported. It also launched a 500,000 FCFA (about US$855) journalism prize for coverage of digital security, starting with the 2026 edition.
Who Runs the Unit and the Country
The BCLCC is a police unit that works under the Ministry of Security, which launched its reporting platform in 2025. Burkina24 describes its mission as tracking cybercrime beyond national borders.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré has led Burkina Faso since a coup on 30 September 2022, as The Rio Times Burkina Faso guide explains. The country belongs to the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Niger.
What It Means for US Readers
The briefing did not say how many victims were foreigners or whether any were American. The cases it describes are losses recorded in Burkina Faso’s own cyberspace.
Travellers and expatriates should note that police describe sharing or commenting on a link as a possible offence. The State Department advisory cites terrorism, crime and kidnapping, and it does not mention cybercrime.
Firms that run payments or fintech services there may face closer scrutiny, because police flagged mobile money and online commerce. That is an inference, and no new rule was announced.
What Is Not Known
The BCLCC gave no yearly split, case count or breakdown by offence, so the number of victims is unclear. Both the 2025 and 2026 totals are stated as “more than”, so exact amounts are unknown.
The figure is the unit’s own count, and no court record or independent audit has been published. Only Burkina24 had been found carrying the briefing by Friday evening.
It is not clear how much money was recovered or how many cases reached court. The briefing also did not say whether the warning on sharing links applies to foreign residents.
The week opens on Monday, 26 October, while the 2025 announcement had pointed to Tuesday, 27 October. This article follows the date given at the briefing.
What Comes Next
The national week closes on Friday, 30 October with the programme described above. Watch for updated loss figures, arrest numbers and any rule changes announced at the panels and forum.
The week does not itself change the law, and the briefing announced no new penalties. The unit launched a confidential online reporting platform, Alerte BCLCC, in February 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has cybercrime cost Burkina Faso?
The national cybercrime police say losses topped 9 billion FCFA (about US$15.4 million) from 2020 to 2025. The unit stated the total as “more than” that amount and gave no yearly breakdown.
Who announced the figure?
Commissaire principal Bayi Akim Nignan, who commands the BCLCC, presented it at a press briefing in Ouagadougou on Friday, 23 October 2026. Burkina24 reported the briefing.
What is the BCLCC?
It is the Brigade centrale de lutte contre la cybercriminalité, Burkina Faso’s central police unit against cybercrime. It works under the Ministry of Security and launched the Alerte BCLCC reporting platform in February 2025.
Does this affect Americans or travellers?
The briefing named no foreign or American victims. The State Department rates Burkina Faso Level 4, Do Not Travel, and its advisory does not mention cybercrime.
How can people report cybercrime in Burkina Faso?
Police launched the Alerte BCLCC platform on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, as a website and a phone app. Osiris reported that it offers confidential and anonymous reporting.
Sources: Burkina24, 23 October 2026; Sidwaya, October 2025; Le Pays via AllAfrica, 4 November 2025; Burkina24, 5 November 2025; Burkina24, 4 December 2025; Burkina24, 30 October 2025; Osiris, 12 February 2025; US State Department travel advisory; The Rio Times, Burkina Faso Explained (all accessed 23 October 2026).
Connected Coverage Related Rio Times reports are Burkina Faso gold exports, the financial sector recovery plan and AI and cybercrime in Africa. The first two cover the economy of the same country.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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