Meta has taken significant action against Nigerian cybercriminals, removing 63,000 accounts linked to financial sextortion scams. The crackdown targets a group known as Yahoo Boys, who have been using these accounts to exploit victims in the United States. While most of the scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful, some targeted minors, prompting Meta to involve the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The operation revealed that a smaller network of about 2,500 accounts was run by approximately 20 individuals based in Nigeria. These criminals primarily targeted adult men in the U.S. using fake identities. They were also found to be connected to thousands of other assets, including accounts, pages, and groups offering tips and resources for scamming.
Meta’s enforcement actions included disabling many of these accounts through automated systems, with expert human investigators addressing the remaining ones. The company has designated the Yahoo Boys as a banned entity under its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, reflecting the severity of their criminal activities.
Additionally, Meta has shared information with other tech companies through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to combat such criminal behavior more effectively. This effort comes amid ongoing U.S. legal actions against Nigerian nationals involved in cybercrime, highlighted by a recent sentencing of nearly 13 years for a key figure in these scams.
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