In a major effort to combat financial sextortion, Meta has disclosed the removal of over 63,000 Instagram accounts and around 7,200 assets on Facebook, all linked to cybercriminal groups known as Yahoo Boys. These groups, operating mainly from Nigeria, have been banned under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy.
This action follows Meta’s Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report, highlighting the company’s ongoing efforts to combat a rising trend of online scams, including financial sextortion. The crackdown revealed a coordinated network of about 2,500 Instagram accounts linked to a group of 20 individuals, targeting primarily adult men in the U.S. Some of these scammers also attempted to exploit minors, leading Meta to report these cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
In addition to Instagram, Meta removed 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 Pages, and 5,700 Groups that were sharing tips on conducting scams and selling resources to aid in creating fake accounts. Meta’s systems are actively blocking attempts by these groups to re-establish themselves on the platform, and the company is improving its detection methods to stay ahead of these evolving threats.
Meta’s initiative extends beyond account removal, including collaboration with law enforcement and child safety organizations. The company also supports Project Boost, a program that trains global law enforcement agencies to handle cases of sextortion and other cybercrimes. In an effort to protect young users, Meta has implemented stricter messaging settings for teens and is testing new features, such as on-device nudity protection on Instagram.
This comprehensive approach underscores Meta’s commitment to disrupting criminal activities across social media platforms, ensuring a safer online environment for users worldwide.
Credit: Meta
