Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a significant crackdown on financial sextortion scams originating from Nigeria. According to the company’s Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report, approximately 63,000 accounts linked to these scams have been removed from its platforms.
The social media giant revealed that a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts was also dismantled. These accounts were allegedly used to target individuals with financial sextortion, a form of blackmail where victims are coerced into sending money or explicit content.
It reads, “We’ve removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams, including a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts.
“We’ve also removed a set of Facebook accounts, Pages, and groups run by Yahoo Boys—banned under our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy—that were attempting to organize, recruit and train new scammers.”
In addition to the account removals, Meta reported taking down Facebook Pages, groups, and accounts operated by “Yahoo Boys,” a term commonly used to describe Nigerian cybercriminals. These platforms were used to organize, recruit, and train new scammers, according to the report.
Meta’s action underscores the growing challenge of online fraud and the company’s commitment to combating it. While the removal of these accounts is a positive step, experts warn that the problem of financial sextortion is persistent and evolving, requiring ongoing efforts from both tech companies and law enforcement.
