Meta removes over 60,000 Facebook accounts behind sextortion scams from Nigeria
Meta has taken down around 63,000 Facebook accounts based in Nigeria that were running financial 'sextortion scams', along with groups and pages recruiting and training new scammers.
Sexual extortion, or sextortion, is when a person is persuaded to send explicit photos online.
The perpetrator then threatens to make the images public, unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors.
Meta said the rise had been fuelled in part by a loosely organised group called the Yahoo Boys, operating mainly out of Nigeria.
Facebook accounts and groups run by the group had been removed under its “dangerous organizations and individuals” policy, the social media giant added.
In April, ITV News spoke to the parents of Murray Dowey, a 16-year-old boy who took his own life after being blackmailed by someone claiming to be a young girl.
Ros Dowey spoke of the trauma the family experienced at losing their son. "I just think they're evil...those criminals killed our son," she said.
"They can't just be anonymous people behind the keyboard thousands of miles away. There has to be consequences and there has to be consequences to deter others from doing this."
The Revenge Porn Helpline, the UK's only dedicated service to supporting victims of intimate image abuse, revealed reports have risen by 54% in just one year.
Meta said its investigation found that the majority of the scammers' attempts did not succeed and mostly targeted adult men in the US.
However, the company added that it did see “some” try to target minors, and said it reported to the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The removed accounts included a “coordinated network” of about 2,500 accounts linked to a group of about 20 people who were running them, Meta said.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning
In April, Meta announced it was deploying new tools in Instagram to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages.
Meta is still testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse,” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teenagers.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...