Nigeria, Ghana majorly affected as Meta removes 3.7m Facebook and Instagram accounts in scam crackdown

Nigeria and Ghana have drawn international attention following a coordinated global operation targeting West African online fraud networks, which resulted in Meta removing over 3.7 million accounts, Pages, and Groups across Facebook and Instagram.

The cross-border enforcement effort brought together law enforcement agencies from 10 nations alongside 15 major technology companies. The operation led to 28 arrests, the identification of more than 30 suspected scam centers, and the rescue of 117 human trafficking victims in Ghana.

Hosted by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in partnership with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the initiative focused on dismantling organized criminal syndicates operating across the West African region.

Meta described the sweep as its first unified, large-scale crackdown targeting regional scam infrastructure. Investigators noted that the removed profiles predominantly targeted victims in the United States and the United Kingdom by utilizing fake accounts impersonating American and British citizens. Additional targets included individuals in Germany, Brazil, Japan, India, South Africa, Turkey, and Nigeria.

Technology partners collaborating in the effort included Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Adobe, and Starlink.

According to the DOJ, Nigerian law enforcement operatives arrested nine individuals and seized 53 electronic devices during the raids.

In neighboring Ghana, authorities executed a raid in Sasaabi, near Accra, resulting in 19 arrests and the seizure of 303 electronic devices. Officials also located 117 individuals allegedly held against their will and coerced into executing digital scams. The DOJ confirmed that these rescued victims are currently awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.

Investigators identified 89 documented victims of fraud associated with the targeted networks, with estimated financial losses reaching approximately $8.3 million. The findings underscored the severe human toll of cybercrime operations, notably the intersection of online fraud and human trafficking.

The targeted criminal schemes encompassed various illicit activities, including cryptocurrency investment fraud, deceptive employment offers, romance scams, e-commerce fraud, and impersonation schemes targeting law enforcement and military personnel.

Investigators also cracked down on recovery scams, wherein fraudsters target previous victims by demanding upfront fees under the false promise of recovering lost funds.