Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced on Wednesday the removal of 63,000 accounts connected to Nigerian cybercriminals involved in financial sextortion schemes targeting U.S. users.
The company’s Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report reveals that the crackdown dismantled a network comprising about 2,500 accounts tied to roughly 20 individuals.
According to Meta, these accounts were primarily used to deceive adult men in the U.S. through fake profiles designed to obscure their identities. Meta’s efforts involved advanced technical detection and extensive investigations to identify and deactivate these accounts, thereby bolstering its automated monitoring systems.
“Financial sextortion is a global issue that has recently seen a surge in activity from ‘Yahoo Boys,’ loosely organized cybercriminals based mainly in Nigeria who are involved in various scams,” Meta stated. The removal of 63,000 accounts includes a specific network of 2,500 accounts used for financial sextortion.
In addition to this, Meta dismantled several Facebook accounts, pages, and groups operated by Yahoo Boys, which were banned under its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy for attempting to recruit and train new scammers.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety, noted that while the majority of these scam attempts targeted adults and were unsuccessful, some cases did involve minors. These instances have been reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The company also announced the removal of approximately 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were found to be sharing resources related to scams. These assets were engaged in selling scam scripts and guides and distributing links to photo collections used for creating fraudulent accounts.
Beyond account removals, Meta is collaborating with law enforcement agencies to support investigations and prosecutions. The company is also involved in Project Boost, a program funded by Meta and supported by NCMEC and the International Justice Mission, which trains law enforcement worldwide on handling and acting on NCMEC reports. Recent training sessions have been held in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
