Meta says it has removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram as part of an international crackdown on scam networks operating in West Africa.

Announced on October 13, 2026, the operation brought technology companies and law enforcement agencies together to disrupt criminal networks targeting people in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries. Meta said most of the removed accounts appeared to target US and UK users through profiles impersonating people from those countries.

The operation also produced leads on more than 30 suspected scam centres. Law enforcement confirmed 28 arrests, while 117 people who had been trafficked and forced to work in scam operations in Ghana were rescued. The UK National Crime Agency and other participating agencies have reported on the enforcement action.

The financial impact is also significant. Coinbase said it identified more than 65 people who were actively being scammed and prevented more than $415,000 in potential losses. Separately, FBI Director Kash Patel said participating companies identified more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds. That figure does not mean the entire amount has been frozen or returned to victims.

The operation involved Meta and other technology companies, including Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Starlink and Adobe, working with law enforcement partners across multiple countries.

How the Crackdown Worked

The joint operation began on October 6, when the UK's National Crime Agency hosted law enforcement and technology industry representatives in London.

Participants shared intelligence across platforms, jurisdictions and financial systems to identify scam accounts, trace potential payment routes and connect online activity to suspected criminal networks.

This approach matters because organised scams rarely depend on a single account or platform. A fraudster might first contact someone on Facebook or Instagram, move the conversation to a messaging app, and then direct the victim to a fake investment website or payment channel.

Removing accounts can interrupt that process, but it cannot guarantee that the people behind them will not return with new profiles, websites or phone numbers. Recognising the tactics remains an important defence.

The 7 Scams Identified in the Operation

1. Investment scams

Scammers build a relationship with a target, sometimes posing as a friend, romantic interest or business contact. Once trust is established, they introduce an investment opportunity, often involving cryptocurrency, and promise unusually high returns.

Warning sign: Someone you know only online encourages you to invest through a platform they recommend, particularly when returns are presented as guaranteed or risk-free.

How to protect yourself: Verify investment firms independently, check the relevant regulator's records and never rely on screenshots of profits or testimonials supplied by the person promoting the scheme.

2. Fake job and task scams

A fraudster advertises a remote job or simple online tasks, such as liking videos, reviewing products or boosting engagement. The victim may initially receive a small payment to build confidence. Later, the scammer demands a deposit or account top-up before earnings can be withdrawn.

Warning sign: You are asked to pay money to unlock a job, receive a salary or withdraw supposed earnings.

How to protect yourself: Research the employer through independently verified channels. Do not send money or cryptocurrency to secure a job or release payment for work you have supposedly completed.

3. Law enforcement impersonation

Scammers pose as police officers, investigators or government officials and claim that the victim is involved in a criminal case. They use threats, urgency and fear to demand money.

Warning sign: Someone threatens immediate arrest or prosecution unless you transfer money to a personal account, wallet or payment channel.

How to protect yourself: Do not pay or disclose sensitive information under pressure. Contact the relevant agency using an independently verified official number or website.

4. Military impersonation scams

A fraudster pretends to be a soldier stationed abroad and develops a friendship or romantic relationship with the target. They later request money for leave, travel, medical emergencies or a package allegedly being held for delivery.

Warning sign: A person you have never met repeatedly invents emergencies that require you to send money.

How to protect yourself: Verify the person's identity independently. Do not send funds based on claims about military service, overseas travel or urgent delivery fees.

5. Non-delivery scams

A fake seller advertises products or services on social media, accepts payment and then fails to deliver. The seller may disappear, block the buyer or invent reasons for further payments.

Warning sign: The seller pressures you to pay immediately, offers prices that seem unrealistically low or refuses payment methods with meaningful buyer protection.

How to protect yourself: Check the seller's history and independent reviews. Where possible, use payment methods with dispute or buyer-protection options, and avoid transferring money simply because a seller claims a deal is about to expire.

6. Romance scams

A scammer creates a fake identity and builds an emotional relationship over days, weeks or months. Eventually, a crisis appears: travel costs, medical bills, an emergency or another urgent need for money.

Warning sign: Someone you have not met in person asks for money, financial assistance or access to your accounts after building an emotional connection.

How to protect yourself: Be cautious about sending money to online romantic interests. Verify identities through independent means and discuss suspicious requests with someone you trust before acting.

7. Scam-recovery fraud

After someone loses money to fraud, another person claims they can recover the funds. The supposed recovery agent may demand an upfront fee, tax payment, processing charge or cryptocurrency transfer, only to disappear after receiving the money.

Warning sign: Someone guarantees the recovery of stolen money but insists on being paid first.

How to protect yourself: Be wary of unsolicited recovery offers. Contact your bank, payment provider, exchange or relevant authorities directly. Do not give strangers remote access to your devices or share account credentials.

What to Do If a Scammer Contacts You

If a message, profile or offer appears suspicious, take these steps:

  1. Stop communicating. Do not send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, passwords or verification codes.

  2. Save evidence. Keep relevant messages, usernames, payment receipts and transaction references, provided doing so does not put you at further risk.

  3. Report the account. Use Facebook or Instagram's reporting tools and block the account if appropriate.

  4. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately if you paid. Ask whether the transfer can be stopped, recalled or disputed. Recovery is not guaranteed, but acting quickly may help.

  5. Secure your accounts. Change any exposed passwords, use unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication. If you shared a verification code or gave someone remote access to your device, secure the affected accounts and contact the relevant service provider.

  6. Report the incident to the appropriate authorities. In Nigeria, consider reporting to the police and the relevant cybercrime authorities. Keep copies of all evidence and complaint references.

Why Removing Millions of Accounts Is Not the End of the Problem

The crackdown shows how cooperation between platforms, financial companies and law enforcement can disrupt fraud networks across borders. It also highlights a serious human cost: some people working inside scam centres may themselves have been trafficked and forced to participate in criminal activity.

Still, account removals are only one measure of progress. The longer-term challenge is to identify the people organising the fraud, disrupt their financial channels, protect victims and prevent criminal groups from rebuilding their operations.

Meta has not published a full breakdown of how many removed accounts were automated, how many were operated directly by people, or how many users ultimately avoided losses because of the takedowns. The $11 million in potentially freezable funds should also not be treated as money already recovered.

For everyday users, the lesson is straightforward: a familiar profile, an attractive investment, a promising job or an emotional connection is not proof of legitimacy. Verify the person, business and payment request before acting.

The removal of more than 3.7 million accounts is a major disruption, but the number alone does not tell us how many victims have been protected or whether the networks have been dismantled permanently.

The most useful protection is knowing the warning signs before money changes hands. Whether the offer involves a job, an investment, a relationship or a promise to recover lost funds, pressure to act quickly and requests for upfront payments deserve scrutiny.

Have you encountered any of these scams on Facebook, Instagram or another platform? Share the warning signs you noticed without posting personal or financial information to help others stay alert.