In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Meta Platforms Inc. has removed 63,000 accounts linked to the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group, according to its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report.
The deleted accounts were used for financial sextortion scams and distributing blackmail scripts, with a smaller network of 2,500 accounts targeting adult men in the US using fake identities.
Meta identified and disabled these accounts through advanced technical signals and comprehensive investigations, enhancing its automated detection systems.
Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organized cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria.
Meta has removed assets, including Facebook accounts, pages, and groups, and shared information with other tech companies to curb these scams across platforms.
The company has been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions, and funding programs to train law enforcement agencies.
Meta has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behavior online.
Last week, Meta was fined $220m by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for multiple violations of data protection laws linked to WhatsApp.
