Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced the removal of 63,000 accounts linked to the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group. This action was detailed in Meta’s Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report released on Wednesday.
Over the past few weeks, these accounts were identified and deleted for their involvement in financial sextortion scams and the distribution of blackmail scripts. Meta also highlighted the dismantling of a smaller network of 2,500 accounts connected to approximately 20 individuals. This network primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.
Meta stated that the accounts were identified and disabled through a combination of advanced technical signals and thorough investigations, enhancing their automated detection systems.
“Financial sextortion is a borderless crime, fueled in recent years by the increased activity of Yahoo Boys, loosely organized cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different types of scams,” the company reported.
The company further explained, “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.”
Additionally, Meta removed several Facebook accounts, Pages, and groups run by Yahoo Boys. These entities, banned under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, were found to be organizing, recruiting, and training new scammers.
During their investigation, Meta discovered that most of the scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, though some had targeted minors. These cases were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Meta also shared information with other tech companies through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to help curb these scams across platforms.
Furthermore, Meta reported the removal of around 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 Pages, and 5,700 groups that were providing scam-related resources. These resources included scripts, guides for scams, and links to collections of photos for creating fake accounts.
Meta noted that since this disruption, their systems have been actively blocking attempts from these groups to return, continually improving their detection capabilities. The company has also been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions by responding to legal requests and alerting authorities to imminent threats.
Meta emphasized that their efforts extend beyond account removal. “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 Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place just last month,” the firm disclosed.
To protect users, especially teens, Meta has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 (under 18 in certain countries) and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behavior online.
Last week, Meta was fined $220 million by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for multiple violations of data protection laws related to WhatsApp. The investigation, initiated in May 2021, found that Meta’s privacy policies infringed on users’ rights, including unauthorized data sharing and discriminatory practices.
Meta plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it disagrees with the findings and the imposed penalty. The FCCPC aims to ensure fair treatment of Nigerian users and compliance with local regulations.
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