Meta removes 3.7 million accounts of West African online profiles and pages as US, UK, Nigerian and Ghanaian agencies join forces

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has removed more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups in an international operation targeting scam networks operating from West Africa.

• Meta disclosed the removal of more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups on 13 October.
• The action formed part of an international operation involving Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities.
• US officials said participants identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds.
• The removal figure combines online assets and does not represent 3.7 million people.

The results, disclosed on 13 October, followed coordinated work involving technology companies and authorities from Nigeria, Ghana, the United States, Britain and other countries.

The removal total combines different types of online assets. It does not represent 3.7 million individuals or establish that all the assets were operated from Nigeria.

The operation connected platform enforcement with investigations into the infrastructure and financial activity behind cross-border fraud.

According to Meta’s announcement⁠, Britain’s National Crime Agency convened participants in London beginning on 6 October. The removals were announced after the coordinated activity, rather than all taking place on the publication date.

Following the money across platforms

The US Justice Department said the operation brought together public agencies and private companies to share information about suspected networks.

Participants included the FBI, US Treasury, Homeland Security Investigations, Nigeria’s police cybercrime centre and Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the collaboration identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds.

The announcement does not establish that the entire amount was frozen, recovered or returned to victims. It identifies money that could be subject to further action.

Removing the online infrastructure

Meta said many of the removed assets appeared to target people in the United States and Britain through profiles impersonating American and British users.

The schemes described included fake investment opportunities, fraudulent employment offers, romance scams and impersonation of military personnel or law-enforcement officials.

The company did not publish a country-by-country breakdown or an independent audit of the removals.

For legitimate users and businesses, those tactics exploit familiar online activities: responding to job advertisements, buying goods, developing professional contacts or communicating with someone who appears trustworthy.

The international response reflects the difficulty of addressing such activity through one platform or jurisdiction. A profile, a payment account and the person operating them may be located in different countries.

Authorities also reported 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 people who had been trafficked into scam operations. The Justice Department’s account presents these as enforcement results; arrests do not constitute convictions.

The scale of the takedown shows how much online infrastructure was identified in this operation. Whether the disruption lasts will depend on follow-up enforcement and the ability of platforms to detect replacement accounts and networks.