Meta removes 63,000 accounts linked to sextortion scams

[KARAH RUCKER]

IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE REPORTED ON BEFORE – SEXTORTION IS ON THE RISE.

THAT’S WHERE ONLINE PREDATORS POSE AS SOMEONE THEY’RE NOT… TO LURE YOU INTO SENDING SEXUAL PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF YOURSELF – ONLY TO USE THEM AS BLACKMAIL UNLESS YOU PAY THEM OR GIVE THEM BANKING INFORMATION.

NOW – FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM’S PARENT COMPANY, META, SAYS IT  RECENTLY HAD TO REMOVE THOUSANDS OF ACCOUNTS LINKED TO SEXTORTION SCAMS. 

META SAYS IT’S TAKEN DOWN 63-THOUSAND ACCOUNTS ORIGINATING FROM NIGERIA ALONE – INCLUDING ONE SEXTORTION RING OF 25-HUNDRED ACCOUNTS LINKED TO A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 PEOPLE.

META SAYS IT REMOVED 200 FACEBOOK PAGES AND 57-HUNDRED FACEBOOK GROUPS — ALL FROM NIGERIA — THAT WERE PROVIDING TIPS FOR SCAMMERS… LIKE SCRIPTS FOR TALKING WITH VICTIMS AND LINKS TO COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOS THAT SCAMMERS COULD USE WHEN MAKING FAKE ACCOUNTS TO DUPE PEOPLE. 

NIGERIA HAS BECOME A HOTSPOT FOR SEXTORTION CRIMES IN RECENT YEARS.

META SAYS MANY OF THE ACCOUNTS IT RECENTLY SHUT DOWN WERE LINKED TO A GROUP CALLED THE “YAHOO BOYS” – A GROUP OF CRIMINALS IN NIGERIA KNOWN FOR FINANCIAL SCAMS. 

THIS CRACKDOWN COMES AS META IS TESTING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO HELP STEER USERS AWAY FROM THESE TYPES OF SCAMS.

THE MOST COMMON PLATFORMS FOR SEXTORTION SCAMS ARE INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHAT — ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN AND THORN, A NONPROFIT THAT USES TECHNOLOGY TO COMBAT THE SPREAD OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL.