Meta Shuts Down 63,000 Nigerian Instagram Accounts in Sextortion Scam Crackdown
Meta has taken significant action by shutting down 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria linked to financial sextortion scams. These accounts were associated with a cybercriminal group known as the “Yahoo Boys.”
In its efforts to combat sextortion, Meta has introduced measures to protect users and educate them on avoiding scams. Earlier this year, Meta announced it would redirect suspected sextortion messages to users’ hidden request folders. If users were already engaged with a potential scam account, they would receive safety notices to report threats. Additionally, Meta restricted potential sextortion accounts from viewing the “Message” button on teens’ profiles, even if they were connected.
New technical signals developed by Meta were instrumental in tracking down the sextortion network. Out of the 63,000 accounts removed, 2,500 were part of a coordinated group linked to 20 individuals. This network primarily targeted adult men in the US, but most attempts were unsuccessful. Identifying this core network led to discovering more related accounts in Nigeria, resulting in the removal of the rest.
Meta also took down thousands of Facebook accounts, groups, and pages in Nigeria that provided scammers with tips, fake photos, and scripts. Its systems now block any attempts by these groups to return to the platform.
In April, Meta tested new features to warn users about potential scams, including detecting images with nudity and prompts to reconsider sending such images. Users could also unsend messages later. Additionally, recipients would receive warnings if they tried to forward the image.
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