Meta says it has removed about 63,000 accounts engaging in financial sextortion scams — along with Facebook groups and pages that were trying to organize, recruit and train new scammers
Meta says it has taken down about 63,000 Facebook accounts in Nigeria that were engaging in financial sextortion scams — along with groups and pages that were trying to organize, recruit and train new scammers.
Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors. Recent high-profile cases include two Nigerian brothers who pleaded guilty to sexually extorting teen boys and young men in Michigan, including one who took his own life, and a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who sexually extorted and kidnapped a 15-year-old girl.
There has been a marked rise in sextortion cases in recent years, fueled in part by a loosely organized group called the Yahoo Boys, operating mainly out of Nigeria, Meta said, adding that it removed Facebook accounts and groups run by the group under its “dangerous organizations and individuals” policy.
In January, the FBI warned of a “huge increase” in sextortion cases targeting children. The targeted victims are primarily boys between the ages of 14 to 17, but the FBI said any child can become a victim.
Meta said its investigation found that the majority of the scammers’ attempts did not succeed and mostly targeted adult men in the U.S., but added that it did see “some” try to target minors, which Meta says it reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The removed accounts included a “coordinated network” of about 2,500 accounts linked to a group of about 20 people who were running them, Meta said.
In April, Meta announced it was deploying new tools in Instagram to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. Meta is still testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse,” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, recently made headlines for taking down a significant number of Nigerian Facebook accounts that were involved in sextortion schemes. This move comes as part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to crack down on harmful and deceptive behavior on its platforms.
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where perpetrators use sexually explicit images or videos to extort money or other favors from their victims. In the case of these Nigerian Facebook accounts, the scammers would typically befriend unsuspecting individuals on the platform and then coerce them into sending compromising photos or videos. Once they had this material, they would threaten to share it publicly unless the victim paid up.
This type of scam can have devastating consequences for victims, both emotionally and financially. Many people who fall victim to sextortion schemes feel ashamed and embarrassed, and may be reluctant to seek help or report the crime to authorities. In some cases, victims have been driven to extreme measures, such as self-harm or suicide.
By removing these Nigerian Facebook accounts, Meta is sending a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated on its platforms. The company has also pledged to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible for these scams.
It’s important for all social media users to be vigilant and cautious when interacting with strangers online. Never share personal or compromising information with someone you don’t know and trust. If you believe you have been the victim of a sextortion scheme, it’s important to report it to the platform where it occurred and to law enforcement authorities.
In conclusion, Meta’s actions to remove Nigerian Facebook accounts involved in sextortion schemes are a positive step towards making social media a safer place for everyone. It’s crucial for users to educate themselves about online scams and to take steps to protect their personal information and privacy. By working together, we can help prevent these types of crimes and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
