Meta deletes 63,000 Nigerian accounts over links to financial s€xual scams

Meta Platforms has announced the removal of approximately 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that were involved in financial sexual extortion scams primarily targeting adult men in the United States.

The company stated that while many of these scams were unsuccessful, there were attempts to target minors as well, which have been reported to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

This operation is part of Meta’s broader efforts to combat such networks, although the company noted that this disclosure aims to raise awareness about the issue.

The announcement comes as Meta faces increasing scrutiny from governments and legislators, particularly in the U.S., where concerns have been raised about the platform’s role in harming children.

In recent hearings, U.S. lawmakers have criticized Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for not adequately addressing the risks of sexual predation on their platforms. The U.S. Surgeon-General has also called for warning labels on social media apps to alert users to these dangers.

As economic conditions in Nigeria worsen, online scams have become more prevalent, with scammers operating from various settings including university dormitories, shanty towns, and affluent neighborhoods.

Meta reported that some of the removed accounts were involved in providing scam-related tips, including selling scripts, guides, and sharing photo collections for creating fake accounts.