Meta removes 3.7 million accounts in global scam crackdown targeting Nigeria, Ghana

Meta has removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups from Facebook and Instagram in a global crackdown targeting online fraud networks operating across West Africa, with Nigeria and Ghana among the countries affected.

The coordinated operation brought together law enforcement agencies from 10 countries and 15 major technology companies, leading to 28 arrests, the identification of more than 30 suspected scam centres and the rescue of 117 victims of human trafficking in Ghana.

The operation was 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), to dismantle organised criminal networks operating across the region.

Meta described the exercise as its first unified, large-scale crackdown targeting regional scam infrastructure.

Investigators said the removed accounts predominantly targeted victims in the United States and the United Kingdom, with fraudsters allegedly using fake profiles to impersonate American and British citizens. Other targeted countries included Germany, Brazil, Japan, India, South Africa, Turkey and Nigeria.

Technology companies that participated in the operation included Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Adobe and Starlink.

According to the DOJ, Nigerian law enforcement operatives arrested nine suspects and seized 53 electronic devices during raids. In Ghana, authorities arrested 19 people in Sasaabi, near Accra, and recovered 303 electronic devices.

The Ghanaian operation also uncovered 117 people allegedly held against their will and forced to participate in online scams. The DOJ said the rescued victims were awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.

Investigators identified 89 documented victims of fraud linked to the targeted networks, with estimated financial losses of about $8.3 million.

The criminal schemes included cryptocurrency investment fraud, fake job offers, romance scams, e-commerce fraud and impersonation schemes targeting law enforcement and military personnel.

Authorities also targeted recovery scams, in which fraudsters allegedly demand upfront payments from previous victims while falsely promising to recover money lost to earlier scams.

The operation highlights the links between online fraud and human trafficking, as authorities and technology companies intensify efforts to disrupt organised cybercrime networks.