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Meta has removed 63,000 Facebook accounts linked to Nigerian individuals suspected of being ‘Yahoo Boys’—a term used to describe internet scammers in Nigeria—engaged in financial sextortion.
The US-based company announced this move in a statement titled “Combating Financial Sextortion Scams From Nigeria.” This action follows the Nigerian consumer regulator, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposing a $220 million fine on Meta and its messaging platform, WhatsApp, for alleged data privacy breaches and discriminatory practices against Nigerians.
Meta has indicated its intention to appeal the fine but stated that the removal of the 63,000 accounts is part of its measures against criminal activities. The company explained, “We’ve banned Yahoo Boys under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals Policy—one of our strictest policies—which means we remove accounts of Yahoo Boys who engage in this criminal activity whenever we become aware of them. First, we removed around 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to directly engage in financial sextortion scams.”
This action reflects Meta’s ongoing efforts to combat online scams and protect users from financial exploitation.