Meta removes 63,000 financial sextortion accounts in Nigeria

Meta has disclosed that it has removed over 60,000 accounts on Instagram linked to financial sextortion.

According to a report on its website, Meta stated that one horrifying crime that can have disastrous effects on its victims is financial sextortion. In order to identify scammers’ strategies, comprehend their progression, and create efficient countermeasures, Meta noted that its teams collaborate closely with specialists that possess extensive experience in battling this threat.

Cross-Border Criminals: The Role of Yahoo Boys

Yahoo Boys have been blacklisted by one of Meta’s strictest policies, the Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy. These people assault and extort victims via the internet as part of a variety of cybercrimes. Meta stated that it deletes accounts associated with these illicit activities as soon as they are found.

Recent Network Disruption in Nigeria

In response to Meta’s most recent Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report, the business declared the deliberate destruction of two Nigerian account sets connected to Yahoo Boys and implicated in financial extortion schemes.

Removal of 63,000 Accounts

About 63,000 Nigerian accounts involved in financial sextortion schemes were deleted by Meta. This comprised a more compact, well-organised network with roughly 2,500 accounts connected to roughly 20 people. These con artists mostly preyed on adult males in the US, hiding their identities behind fictitious accounts.

Through new technical signals and thorough research by specialised teams, Meta was able to identify this network. Although Meta’s enforcement systems had already found and disabled the majority of these accounts, the investigation made it possible to remove the remaining accounts and offered information that would help with automatic detection.

“While the majority of these scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful and mostly targeted adults, some also attempted to target minors,” Meta noted. These cases were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Meta further said it shares relevant information with other tech companies through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to enable broader action.

Removal of 7,200 Assets Providing Scam Tips

Approximately 7,200 assets were also deleted by Meta; they included 5,700 Facebook Groups, 200 Facebook Pages, and 1,300 Facebook profiles that were headquartered in Nigeria. These resources included links to photo collections that could be used to create fictitious accounts, advice on how to pull off frauds, and offers to sell scripts and manuals.

These materials included include links to photo collections that could be used to create fictitious accounts, offering to sell scripts and guidelines, and giving advice on how to run scams.

Continuous Improvement and Law Enforcement Support

When these groups have attempted to re-establish their presence, Meta’s technologies have been able to detect and prevent them. To increase these systems’ efficacy, the organisation keeps fortifying them. To further enhance its detecting abilities, Meta has also used fresh strategies found during these investigations.

In addition to answering legal demands for information and warning authorities when there is an immediate risk of harm, Meta assists law enforcement in their investigations and prosecutions of these crimes. The business provides funding and support to NCMEC and the International Justice Mission for Project Boost, an initiative that educates law enforcement organisations throughout the world on how to receive, analyse, and act upon NCMEC reports.

Staying Ahead of Criminals

Criminals constantly adapt to avoid defences in this hostile area. In order to keep ahead of the game, Meta noted that it will continue to concentrate on comprehending how they work. The business is still working with law enforcement, child safety specialists, and the digital sector to disrupt these offenders on all the channels they utilise.