Meta Takes Down Thousands of Facebook Accounts in Nigeria Engaged in Sextortion Scams
Major Crackdown on Sextortion Networks Linked to Nigeria’s Yahoo Boys
Meta has removed 63,000 Facebook accounts involved in sextortion scams in Nigeria. The accounts, linked to the Yahoo Boys group, targeted primarily U.S. adult men and some minors. New tools are being deployed to combat these scams.
Meta has dismantled approximately 63,000 Facebook accounts in Nigeria engaged in sextortion scams, targeting mostly adult men in the U.S. and some minors. The accounts were linked to the Yahoo Boys group, known for sexual extortion tactics. This follows high-profile cases and a significant rise in sextortion incidents, with Meta reporting some attempts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Meta is implementing new Instagram tools to protect users, especially minors, from such threats, including features that blur nudity in direct messages.
