Meta removes 3.7 million accounts linked to West African scam networks

Meta has removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages, and Groups from Facebook and Instagram as part of an international crackdown on criminal scam networks in West Africa. Techeconomy and several other news outlets reported that the operation targeted fraudulent networks operating primarily in Nigeria and Ghana. [1][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

The law enforcement initiative was coordinated with international bodies including the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, the United States Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to Techeconomy and Business Insider Africa. The joint effort led to 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 human trafficking victims in Ghana. [1][3][8]

According to Techeconomy, the rescued trafficking victims were held inside a residential compound in Ghana. They were forced by criminal operators to work for the online scam networks. Scam centers frequently lure individuals into compounds where they are forced into modern slavery to execute online frauds and extract funds from internet users globally. [1][13]