In a coordinated effort to target scam networks operating in West Africa, Meta claims to have deleted over 3.7 million accounts, pages, and groups from Facebook and Instagram.
Meta stated on its website on Tuesday that 14 additional IT firms and law enforcement organizations from ten different nations were involved in the operation.
More than thirty suspected scam centers were identified as a result of the operation, which was spearheaded by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in collaboration with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other agencies.
According to investigative findings, the rescued individuals were held against their will in residential compounds, where they suffered physical violence, psychological abuse, and starvation.
Meta revealed that many of the fraudulent profiles removed during the operation were engineered to impersonate citizens from the United Kingdom and the United States, targeting individuals in both countries.
Meanwhile, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase reported intervening in ongoing cyber scams, successfully identifying over 65 victims and preventing potential financial losses exceeding $415,000.
The multi-agency collaborative effort also involved technology companies such as Google, OpenAI, Starlink, and Adobe, alongside law enforcement authorities from Ghana, Nigeria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and India.
The operation targeted a wide range of online fraud schemes, including fraudulent online transactions, bogus job offers, cryptocurrency investment scams, romance scams, and the impersonation of military and law enforcement personnel.
Additionally, the campaign focused on recovery scams, wherein perpetrators demand upfront fees under the false promise of recovering funds lost by victims in previous fraudulent operations.
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Backstory…
On October 6, 2026, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) brought technology companies and law enforcement partners together in London for a coordinated disruption effort targeting scam networks in West Africa.
The operation involved the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities, and other international agencies.
The investigation also exposed a human-trafficking dimension. Authorities reported rescuing 117 people allegedly trafficked to Ghana and forced to work in scam compounds, where they were held against their will and subjected to abuse.
In Ghana, authorities arrested 19 suspects and seized hundreds of electronic devices, while Nigerian authorities arrested nine people during the enforcement period.
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