Financial Sextortion and Meta’s Commitment
Financial sextortion is a heinous crime with devastating consequences for its victims. Meta is deeply committed to combating this threat, working closely with experts to recognize evolving tactics, and developing effective strategies to stop scammers. This effort is crucial as financial sextortion crosses borders, with cybercriminals, particularly the infamous Yahoo Boys from Nigeria, targeting individuals globally. Under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, Yahoo Boys are banned, and any accounts engaged in this criminal activity are removed.
Recent Strategic Network Disruptions
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta announced the strategic network disruption of two sets of accounts in Nigeria affiliated with Yahoo Boys, attempting financial sextortion scams.
Removal of Instagram Accounts
Meta removed approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria directly involved in financial sextortion scams. This included a smaller, coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts linked to about 20 individuals. These scammers primarily targeted adult men in the US, using fake accounts to conceal their identities. Through new technical signals and in-depth investigations, Meta identified and disabled the majority of these accounts, enhancing its automated detection systems.
Despite most scams targeting adults, some attempts were directed at minors. Meta reported these accounts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Sharing information through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program, Meta ensured other tech companies could also take action.
Removal of Facebook Assets
Meta also removed approximately 7,200 assets, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 Facebook Pages, and 5,700 Facebook Groups, based in Nigeria. These assets were involved in sharing scam techniques, selling scripts and guides for scams, and distributing photos for fake accounts. Since this disruption, Meta’s systems have been identifying and blocking attempts from these groups to re-establish their presence, continuously improving detection capabilities.
Enhancing Detection and Prevention Tactics
Meta’s approach to combating financial sextortion scams extends beyond network disruptions. Collaborating with law enforcement, Meta supports investigations and prosecutions by responding to valid legal requests and alerting authorities when someone is at imminent risk.
Meta funds and supports NCMEC and the International Justice Mission to run Project Boost, training law enforcement agencies globally in processing NCMEC reports. Training sessions have been conducted in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and other regions, the most recent session taking place last month.
Protecting Users and Raising Awareness
Meta is committed to helping people recognize and avoid scams while making it difficult for criminals to succeed. For teens under 16 (under 18 in certain countries), Meta defaults them into stricter message settings, preventing unwanted messages from anyone they’re not connected to. Safety Notices encourage caution, and new signals have been developed to identify accounts potentially engaging in sextortion, preventing them from interacting with teens.
Meta has also started testing an on-device nudity protection feature in Instagram DMs. This feature blurs images detected as containing nudity, encourages caution when sending sensitive images, and directs users to safety tips and resources, including NCMEC’s Take It Down platform.
Ongoing Efforts and Future Strategies
The battle against financial sextortion is ongoing, as criminals continuously evolve their tactics to evade detection. Meta remains dedicated to staying one step ahead, understanding how these criminals operate, and enhancing its defenses. Cooperation with child safety experts, law enforcement, and the tech industry is vital to disrupting these criminals across all platforms they use.
Meta’s comprehensive strategy against financial sextortion scams from Nigeria demonstrates its commitment to protecting users and maintaining a safer online environment. Through continuous innovation and collaboration, Meta aims to mitigate the impact of these scams and support victims worldwide.
