Meta has taken action to remove approximately 63,000 Facebook accounts that were involved in extortion scams.
.jpeg)
The company stated that these accounts, which were removed
in recent weeks, were involved in financial sextortion scams and the
dissemination of blackmail scripts.
Additionally, Meta revealed that a smaller network of 2,500
accounts, associated with approximately 20 individuals, targeted adult men in
the United States by utilizing fake identities.
The company emphasized that it utilized advanced technical
signals and thorough investigations to identify and deactivate these accounts,
thereby bolstering its automated detection systems.
“Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled in
recent years by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organised
cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different
types of scams,” the social media giant stated.
It added, “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,” the company explained.
In the course of the investigation, Meta discovered that the
majority of scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, although some had targeted
minors. These instances were duly reported to the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children.
Furthermore, Meta collaborated by sharing pertinent
information with other technology companies through the Tech Coalition’s
Lantern program, aiming to effectively mitigate the prevalence of such scams
across various platforms.
In addition, the parent company of Facebook disclosed the
removal of approximately 7,200 assets in Nigeria. These assets included 1,300
Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were facilitating
scam-related resources.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that these
assets were offering scripts and guides for executing scams. Additionally, they
were sharing links to collections of photographs that could be utilized to
create fraudulent accounts.
In the aftermath of the disruption, Meta’s systems have been
proactively thwarting attempts by these groups to re-emerge, continuously
refining their detection capabilities.
The organization acknowledges its collaborative efforts with
law enforcement agencies, actively supporting investigations and legal
proceedings by promptly responding to legal inquiries and promptly notifying
authorities of any impending threats.
The social media behemoth indicated that its endeavors
transcend mere account deletion.
“We also fund and support NCMEC and the International
Justice Mission to run Project Boost, a program that trains law enforcement
agencies around the world in processing and acting on NCMEC reports.
“We’ve conducted several training sessions so far, including
in Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place
just last month,” the firm revealed.
In order to safeguard users, particularly adolescents, Meta
has revealed the implementation of more stringent messaging parameters for
individuals below the age of 16 (or 18 in certain jurisdictions). Additionally,
safety notifications are displayed to promote prudent online behavior.
Recently, Meta was subjected to a $220 million fine by
Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission due to
multiple infringements of data protection regulations associated with WhatsApp.
An investigation launched In May 2021 revealed that Meta’s
privacy policies violated users’ rights, including unauthorized data sharing
and discriminatory practices.
Meta intends to appeal the decision, asserting disagreement
with the findings and imposed penalty. The FCCPC seeks to guarantee equitable
treatment of Nigerian users and adherence to local regulations.