Meta deletes 63,000 accounts across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp in crackdown on ‘Yahoo Boys’
In its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report, META Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, revealed on Wednesday that it had deleted 63,000 accounts linked to the infamous “Yahoo Boys” scam organization.
The accounts, which were removed throughout the previous two weeks, were used to disseminate blackmail scripts and conduct financial sextortion schemes. According to Meta, a smaller network of 2,500 accounts connected to about 20 people mostly targeted adult males in the US using fictitious identities.
By combining sophisticated technical signals with thorough investigations, Meta claimed to have detected and deleted these accounts while also improving its automated detection methods.
According to the social media behemoth, “Yahoo Boys, loosely organized cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialize in different types of scams, have been fueling financial sextortion, a borderless crime, in recent years.”
The statement said, “We’ve removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that were part of a coordinated network of about 2,500 accounts that were trying to target people with financial sextortion scams.”
The business added, “We’ve also eliminated a collection of Facebook pages, groups, and accounts managed by Yahoo Boys—banned in accordance with our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy—that were seeking to coordinate, hire, and instruct new con artists.”
According to Meta, the investigation revealed that while some scammers had targeted kids, the majority of scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was notified of these cases.
In an effort to stop these scams on other platforms, Meta disclosed that it also shared information with other tech businesses through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program.
Additionally, Facebook’s parent company reported that it has eliminated some 7,200 assets from Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook profiles, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups that were offering resources linked to scams.
It elaborated that these resources were discovered to be providing instructions and scripts for con games as well as connections to photo collections used to fabricate accounts.
Since the disturbance, Meta’s systems have been actively thwarting these groups’ attempts to reappear, steadily enhancing their detection capacities.
The business stated that it has been collaborating closely with law enforcement as well, answering legal requests, warning authorities of impending threats, and helping investigations and prosecutions.
According to the social media behemoth, its actions go beyond deleting accounts.
“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 the Cote d’Ivoire, with our most recent session taking place just last month,” the firm revealed.
To protect users, especially teens, Meta disclosed that it has implemented stricter messaging settings for users under 16 (under 18 in certain countries) and displays safety notices to encourage cautious behaviour online.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Nigeria penalized Meta $220 million this week for many data protection legislation infractions connected to WhatsApp.
The inquiry, which began in May 2021, discovered that Meta’s privacy policies violated consumers’ rights by engaging in discriminatory activities and unapproved data sharing.
Meta intends to file an appeal, claiming that it is not in agreement with the ruling’s conclusions and the fine that was given. The FCCPC works to guarantee that Nigerian users are treated fairly and that local laws are followed.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
