Meta, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) and leading technology companies have disrupted criminal scam networks operating in West Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana, following a major international law enforcement operation that resulted in 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 trafficking victims, RaveNewsOnline reports.
The operation, hosted by the NCA in London in partnership with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other US federal agencies, involved law enforcement authorities from 10 countries and technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Adobe and Starlink.
According to the announcement, the operation was the largest of its kind to date and the first to broadly target criminal scam networks across West Africa.
As part of the crackdown, Meta removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups from Facebook and Instagram that were based in West Africa.
A majority of the removed accounts appeared to target people in the United States and the United Kingdom through profiles impersonating American and British users.
The networks also reached potential victims in other countries, including Poland, Germany, Brazil, Japan, India, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Turkey and Nigeria.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed the arrest of 28 individuals and the rescue of 117 trafficking victims who were reportedly held in a residential compound in Ghana and forced to work for scam operations.
Investigators also shared intelligence on more than 30 suspected scam centres with law enforcement agencies to support further investigations and disruption efforts.
Technology companies participating in the operation also reported actions against the networks.
Coinbase identified more than 65 active scam victims and prevented over $415,000 in potential losses, while Microsoft suspended accounts suspected of being associated with the criminal activities.
Cybersecurity firm Silent Push mapped more than 35,000 malicious domains and nearly 700 communication channels linked to the scam centres, helping investigators trace the networks to physical locations and their operators.
Commenting on the operation, Chris Sonderby, Meta’s Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, said international cooperation was essential to tackling the growing threat posed by online scams.
“Scams are a global threat that demand a global response,” Sonderby said, adding that the operation led to the removal of millions of accounts and the sharing of intelligence on suspected scam centres.
He said the collaboration had resulted in arrests, the rescue of trafficking victims and cryptocurrency seizures, while reaffirming Meta’s commitment to working with law enforcement and industry partners to pursue scammers.
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the NCA, said the operation demonstrated the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and technology companies in tackling international fraud.
Sharp said fraudsters could operate from anywhere while targeting victims both within their countries of operation and across international borders.
He added that the NCA would continue working with international and private-sector partners to disrupt criminal networks and the infrastructure supporting their activities.
Lord Hanson, the UK’s Minister for Fraud, said criminal gangs operating overseas were responsible for most scams targeting the British public.
He described multi-agency operations as critical to intercepting and arresting suspects, adding that the UK’s new Online Crime Centre would build on such efforts to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.
The operation highlights the growing international focus on online fraud networks operating across borders, as authorities and technology companies intensify efforts to protect potential victims and identify the people and infrastructure behind scam activities.
