UN and Tether launch initiative against crypto scams in Africa

Tether has partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to address crypto scams, fraud, and trafficking-related financial flows in Africa. The initiative will also extend to Papua New Guinea through collaborations with local universities.

Objectives of the Initiative

The program supports UNODC’s Strategic Vision for Africa 2030, aiming to combat organized crime, corruption, terrorism, and illicit financial flows.
Tether's involvement links to an Interpol operation that identified $260 million in illicit crypto and fiat activity across Africa.

Program Details

In Senegal, a multi-phase youth cybersecurity program includes learning modules, a virtual bootcamp, coaching, and micro-grants.
An "Africa Project" will fund civil-society groups supporting victims in Senegal, Nigeria, DRC, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
In Papua New Guinea, Tether will collaborate with universities on fraud prevention awareness and a student competition focused on blockchain-based crime prevention.

Chainalysis reports $205 billion in on-chain value received in Sub-Saharan Africa from July 2024 to June 2025, marking a 52% year-on-year increase. This highlights the importance of stablecoin rails for cross-border transactions and underscores the need for effective fraud prevention.