Meta removes 63,000 accounts linked to sextortion scams

Jul 24

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, said it recently removed thousands of accounts linked to sextortion scams. Those scams involve online predators posing as someone they are not to lure a person into sending sexual photos or videos of themselves, only to use them as blackmail unless the person pays them or gives them banking information.

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Meta said it took down 63,000 accounts originating from Nigeria alone, including one sextortion ring of 2,500 accounts linked to a group of about 20 people. Meta also said it removed 200 Facebook pages and 5,700 Facebook groups, all from Nigeria. Those pages and groups provided tips for scammers like scripts for talking with victims and links to collections of photos that scammers could use when making fake accounts to trick people.

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Nigeria became a hotspot for sextortion crimes in recent years. Meta said many of the accounts it recently shut down were linked to a group called the “Yahoo Boys,” a group of criminals in Nigeria known for financial scams.

This crackdown comes as Meta tests new technology to help steer users away from these types of scams.

The most common platforms for sextortion scams are Instagram and Snapchat, according to a recent study from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Thorn, a nonprofit that uses technology to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material.

Tags: Children, Crime, Facebook, Instagram, Instagram, Meta, Metaverse, Money, scams, Snap, Social Media

[KARAH RUCKER]

IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE REPORTED ON BEFORE – SEXTORTION IS ON THE RISE.

THAT’S WHERE ONLINE PREDATORS POSE AS SOMEONE THEY’RE NOT… TO LURE YOU INTO SENDING SEXUAL PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF YOURSELF – ONLY TO USE THEM AS BLACKMAIL UNLESS YOU PAY THEM OR GIVE THEM BANKING INFORMATION.

NOW – FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM’S PARENT COMPANY, META, SAYS IT RECENTLY HAD TO REMOVE THOUSANDS OF ACCOUNTS LINKED TO SEXTORTION SCAMS.

META SAYS IT’S TAKEN DOWN 63-THOUSAND ACCOUNTS ORIGINATING FROM NIGERIA ALONE – INCLUDING ONE SEXTORTION RING OF 25-HUNDRED ACCOUNTS LINKED TO A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 PEOPLE.

META SAYS IT REMOVED 200 FACEBOOK PAGES AND 57-HUNDRED FACEBOOK GROUPS — ALL FROM NIGERIA — THAT WERE PROVIDING TIPS FOR SCAMMERS… LIKE SCRIPTS FOR TALKING WITH VICTIMS AND LINKS TO COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOS THAT SCAMMERS COULD USE WHEN MAKING FAKE ACCOUNTS TO DUPE PEOPLE.

NIGERIA HAS BECOME A HOTSPOT FOR SEXTORTION CRIMES IN RECENT YEARS.

META SAYS MANY OF THE ACCOUNTS IT RECENTLY SHUT DOWN WERE LINKED TO A GROUP CALLED THE “YAHOO BOYS” – A GROUP OF CRIMINALS IN NIGERIA KNOWN FOR FINANCIAL SCAMS.

THIS CRACKDOWN COMES AS META IS TESTING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO HELP STEER USERS AWAY FROM THESE TYPES OF SCAMS.

THE MOST COMMON PLATFORMS FOR SEXTORTION SCAMS ARE INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHAT — ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN AND THORN, A NONPROFIT THAT USES TECHNOLOGY TO COMBAT THE SPREAD OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL.