"Click, Scam, Launder: The Organizational Structure and Money Laundering Strategies of Côte d'Ivoire’s Brouteurs"

• In Event: Contemporary issues in cybercrime

Abstract

Criminal organizations increasingly leverage digital opportunities to refine their money laundering strategies. In Côte d'Ivoire, cybercriminal networks, known as brouteurs, operate within a structured framework, assigning specific roles—cashiers, correspondents, IT specialists, and facilitators—to optimize illicit fund transfers, reception, and integration.

This study, conducted in collaboration with the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University of Abidjan, is based on over one hundred interviews with brouteurs and provides an in-depth analysis of their financial mechanisms. Key findings reveal the use of financial mules, transaction structuring techniques such as smurfing, cryptocurrency conversion, and reinvestment into the legal economy through strategic assets. The study further underscores the adaptability of these actors in response to evolving anti-money laundering (AML) measures.

By examining the typology of cybercriminals and their financial strategies, this research sheds light on the persistent challenges faced by authorities in mitigating illicit financial flows from online fraud schemes. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the digital money laundering ecosystem and its implications for financial crime prevention.

Authors

• Cristina Cretu-Adatte, Institut de lutte contre la criminalité économique, HEG-Arc, HES-SO // Haute école de Suisse occidentale

• Olivier Beaudet-Labrecque, Institut de lutte contre la criminalité économique, HEG-Arc, HES-SO // Haute école de Suisse occidentale