On Wednesday, Meta Platforms announced the removal of approximately 63,000 Facebook accounts in Nigeria linked to financial sextortion scams predominantly targeting adult men in the United States.
These scams, perpetrated by Nigerian fraudsters commonly referred to as “Yahoo boys,” have been notorious for various schemes including impersonating individuals in financial distress or Nigerian royalty promising lucrative returns on investments. Meta’s investigation revealed that a smaller network of around 2,500 accounts was coordinated by roughly 20 individuals. These scammers used fake profiles to conceal their identities and target primarily adult men.
The sexual extortion, or “sextortion,” involved threats to release compromising photos—either real or fabricated—unless victims paid to prevent the exposure. Meta’s report indicates that while most attempts were unsuccessful, there were also cases involving minors, which have been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the U.S.
The company utilized newly developed technical signals to detect and address sextortion activities. Nigerian scammers, often associated with “419 scams” due to a specific section of the national penal code on fraud, have proliferated as economic conditions in the country worsen. These operations are conducted from various settings, including university dormitories, impoverished areas, and affluent neighborhoods.
Additionally, Meta disclosed that some of the removed accounts were involved in distributing tips on conducting scams, including selling scripts, guides, and providing links to collections of photos for use in fake accounts.
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