Meta Platforms recently took action against cybercrime in Nigeria by removing approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts involved in financial sextortion scams, primarily targeting American men and minors [5].
Description
This included a coordinated network of 2,500 accounts connected to 20 individuals affiliated with the cybercrime group Yahoo Boys. Victims are often deceived into believing they are interacting with someone of similar age [5], only to be scammed. In addition, over 7,200 assets [3], such as Facebook accounts, Pages [1] [3], and Groups [1] [2] [3] [6], were removed in Nigeria for their involvement in scamming activities, including providing scam tips and resources [3]. These actions were part of a larger effort to combat cybercrime, with INTERPOL conducting a global operation targeting West African organized crime groups [1], resulting in arrests and the seizure of illegal assets [1]. Other law enforcement actions included the sentencing of Vyacheslav Igorevich Penchukov for malware operations [1], arrests in Ukraine for financial theft attacks [1], and arrests in Spain related to cyber attacks [1]. The UK’s NCA also dismantled a DDoS-for-hire service that was linked to global attacks. New tools [5], such as an on-device nudity protection feature in Instagram’s DMs [5], are being tested to combat sextortion [5]. Meta’s efforts to combat sextortion scams have also included adding safety features in Instagram messages and facing scrutiny for not doing enough to protect teens from sextortion on its apps, with some accounts targeting minors reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) [4]. As online scams in Nigeria [7], known as “419 scams,” continue to grow [7], scammers operate from various locations and offer tips for conducting scams [7], including selling scripts and guides [7]. Meta is under pressure to address concerns about the harm its services may cause [7], particularly to children [7], and has faced criticism for not doing enough to protect users from threats like sexual predation [7]. Meta Platforms has removed 63,000 accounts in Nigeria involved in financial sexual extortion scams [1] [2], primarily targeting adult men in the United States [2] [4]. Additionally, 7,200 assets were removed [2], including Facebook accounts [1] [2] [3], pages [2] [5] [6], and groups [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. These assets were found offering scripts and guides for scamming and sharing links to photos for fake accounts [2]. The majority of scam attempts were unsuccessful [2] [6] [7], with some targeting minors [2]. Meta is committed to supporting law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting these crimes [2].
Conclusion
Meta Platforms’ actions against cybercrime in Nigeria have had significant impacts on combating financial sextortion scams. By removing accounts and assets involved in scamming activities, Meta is taking steps to protect users, particularly minors [6] [7], from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes. Moving forward, continued efforts to enhance safety features and collaborate with law enforcement will be crucial in addressing the ongoing threat of cybercrime and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
References
[1] https://thehackernews.com/2024/07/meta-removes-63000-instagram-accounts.html
[2] https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/meta-takes-down-63000-nigerian-accounts-for-sextortion-scams/xtx6vsk
[3] https://about.fb.com/news/2024/07/combating-financial-sextortion-scams-from-nigeria/
[4] https://www.engadget.com/meta-takes-down-63000-instagram-accounts-linked-to-extortion-scams-175118067.html
[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/instagram-removed-63000-accounts-tied-financial-sextortion-rcna163477
[6] https://www.npr.org/2024/07/24/nx-s1-5050709/meta-sextortion-scams-nigeria-facebook-instagram
[7] https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/instagram-meta-facebook-sextortion-scam-nigeria-b2585752.html
