MENLO PARK, CA – July 24, 2024 – Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious “Yahoo Boys” scam group, the company announced in its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday.
The deleted accounts were used for financial sextortion scams and distributing blackmail scripts, primarily targeting adult men in the United States using fake identities. Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, were part of this coordinated effort.
“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 social media giant stated.
In addition to the account removals, Meta said it has also taken down around 7,200 assets in Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were providing scam-related resources such as scripts and guides.
“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,” the company explained.
Meta’s efforts extend beyond account removal, as the firm revealed it has been working closely with law enforcement, supporting investigations and prosecutions by responding to legal requests and alerting authorities to imminent threats.
The company also funds and supports programs like Project Boost, which trains law enforcement agencies around the world in processing and acting on reports of cybercrime. Training sessions have been conducted in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and other regions affected by the “Yahoo Boys” scams.
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.
The social media giant’s crackdown on the “Yahoo Boys” scam network comes as it was fined $220 million by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for multiple violations of data protection laws linked to WhatsApp.
