Meta, the owner of Instagram, announced the removal of thousands of accounts in Nigeria involved in sextortion schemes.
These scammers often impersonate young women online to deceive individuals into sharing sexually explicit content, which is then used for blackmail.
The stress, stigma, and shame from these crimes have led some victims to take their own lives.
In a blog post on Wednesday, Meta reported that it had taken down approximately 63,000 accounts attempting to carry out such scams.
“Financial sextortion is a horrific crime that can have devastating consequences,” it said.
The company said it also took down 5,700 Facebook groups in which scammers were offering tips on how to scam people.
Experts and authorities have previously warned social media users to remain aware and alert of the scam’s dangers amid their apparent rise.
In May, 16-year-old Murray Dowey from Dunblane took his own life after being targeted by criminals.
And the BBC found sextortion guides being sold on social media platforms in May.
Perpetrators of sextortion scams present themselves to a user online as a potential romantic interest with the aim of getting them to send explicit or intimate images of themselves – often by sending a nude image first and asking for one in return.
Senders are then threatened with having their intimate images circulated publicly unless they send payment.
- Yahoo boys
Meta announced on Wednesday that it had disrupted and removed accounts involved in sextortion attempts, which were linked to a broader network of Nigerian cybercriminals known as “Yahoo Boys.” These fraudsters are on Meta’s list of dangerous organizations and individuals banned from its platforms.
The company utilizes various technologies to detect accounts engaging in sextortion scams. These measures include automatically blurring nude images in messages and providing users with options to block the sender and report the chat without responding.
In April, Meta introduced new tools to enhance user safety. One such tool prevents the “message” button from appearing on a teen’s profile for accounts suspected of sextortion attempts, even if those accounts are already connected.
