Meta has removed more than 3.7 million accounts, pages, and groups from Facebook and Instagram linked to suspected scam networks operating in West Africa, as an international crackdown on online fraud led to 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 human trafficking victims.
The operation, known as Joint Disruption Week, targeted criminal networks operating in Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries accused of defrauding victims worldwide through social media and other digital platforms.
According to the United States Department of Justice, the coordinated operation, which began on October 6, also generated leads on more than 30 suspected scam centres and helped identify over $11 million in funds that could potentially be frozen.
Meta disclosed that most of the accounts removed appeared to target people in the United States and the United Kingdom through profiles impersonating American and British users.
The company joined 14 other technology firms and law enforcement agencies from 10 countries in the operation, which was coordinated by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in partnership with US authorities.
The participating technology companies shared intelligence to identify suspicious accounts, trace criminal networks across digital platforms and financial systems, and disrupt the infrastructure used to perpetrate online fraud.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 28 suspects, comprising 19 in Ghana and nine in Nigeria. Authorities also seized hundreds of electronic devices believed to be connected to the criminal activities.
In Ghana, investigators identified 117 people who had allegedly been trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds against their will. The victims were reportedly held in a residential facility and subjected to physical and psychological abuse, with authorities working towards their repatriation to Nigeria.
A further 89 victims of online scams were identified in Ghana, with their reported financial losses estimated at $8.3 million.
The US Justice Department said the operation marked the first coordinated international disruption specifically targeting scam networks across West Africa, highlighting the growing collaboration between law enforcement agencies and private technology companies in tackling transnational cybercrime.
Participating organisations included Meta, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Adobe and Starlink, alongside other technology and cybersecurity firms.
The criminal schemes targeted during the operation included cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, fake job and online task offers, impersonation of police officers and government officials, digital extortion, and fraudulent sales involving goods or services that were never delivered.
In some cases, fraudsters allegedly developed fake romantic or professional relationships with victims before persuading them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms. Others reportedly posed as law enforcement officers to threaten victims into making payments.
The crackdown also highlighted the connection between online fraud and human trafficking, with criminal syndicates allegedly recruiting people under false pretences and subsequently forcing them to participate in scam operations.
Authorities said more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds had been identified during the exercise. The figure represents money flagged for possible freezing and should not be interpreted as funds already recovered.
The operation comes amid mounting concern over the financial toll of online investment fraud. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre, investment scams were reported 72,984 times in the United States in 2025, with cryptocurrency investment fraud accounting for 72 per cent of the category.
Reported losses from investment scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024, while losses involving cryptocurrency-related investment scams exceeded $7.2 billion in 2025. The figures are based largely on complaints received by US authorities and may not capture the full extent of the losses.
Despite the removal of millions of accounts, authorities face the challenge of identifying the individuals behind the networks, tracing their financial transactions and securing prosecutions across jurisdictions.
The operation underscores the importance of international cooperation in disrupting online fraud, protecting potential victims and identifying people trafficked into criminal operations.
Members of the public are advised to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited investment opportunities, suspicious job offers, requests for advance payments or online relationships involving demands for money.
The US Department of Justice published details of the operation on October 13, 2026, while Meta confirmed the removal of more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups in its announcement on the same date.
