Facebook Removes Accounts Linked to Sextortion Scams in Nigeria

- 63,000 Accounts Removed: Meta Platforms removed about 63,000 Facebook accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in financial sexual extortion scams.
- Targets: The scams primarily targeted adult men in the United States.
- Methods: Scammers used fake accounts to mask their identities and targeted victims with compromising photos.
- Unsuccessful Attempts: The majority of the scammers' attempts were unsuccessful, and Meta reported attempts against minors to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the U.S.
- Technical Signals: Meta used a combination of new technical signals to help identify sex extortion.
- Nigerian Scammers: Nigerian online fraudsters, known as "Yahoo boys," are notorious for scams, including passing themselves off as people in financial need or Nigerian princes offering an outstanding return on an investment.
- Economic Hardships: Economic hardships in Nigeria have led to an increase in online scams, with scammers operating from various locations.

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