A new kind of Instagram scam

Meta deletes 63 thousand Instagram accounts: “Blackmail, you don’t stand a chance!”

Attention all insta-users! Meta has launched a massive operation to delete as many as 63 thousand Instagram accounts linked to the sextortion scam. Yes, yes, these are the same “Yahoo Boys” from Nigeria, who once tried to sell you the status of “heir to a rich prince.”

Now these savvy individuals have learned how to use fake profiles for romance scams. They create fake accounts, get “intimate” with you, and then sweetly ask you to share money or your personal information. And creepiest of all, they’ve recently gone after intimate photos to blackmail victims later.

Meta reported, “We removed about 63,000 accounts actively engaged in financial scams using sex blackmail, in coordination with a fairly compact network of about 2,500 accounts that was linked to a group of about 20 attackers. These scammers primarily preyed on adult men from the U.S., masquerading as fake profiles.”

Imagine the scale of this “army” of fake profiles! But Meta isn’t slumbering and is beefing up its security algorithms. They were able to untangle the network of 2,500 accounts, and through joint efforts, they were able to identify and delete the remaining malicious profiles. This is just the beginning in the fight against online fraud.

Additionally, Meta mopped up another 1,300 Facebook accounts and 5,700 communities that gave instructions on how to conduct online scams. These groups, they said, were also linked to Yahoo Boys. The instructions from the “blackmail gurus” included tips on how to create fake accounts and a collection of photos for the same purpose. A veritable “rogue academy,” no different.

Sex blackmail and romance scams are some of the most insidious types of crime in the online world, and they take aim at the hearts and wallets of vulnerable people. Seeing Meta take decisive action to eradicate them is hopeful. Of course, scammers aren’t standing still and are improving their tactics, but let’s hope Meta is a step ahead.

In the age of artificial intelligence, new horizons are opening up for villains and law enforcement alike. But the battle continues, and Meta is not coming empty-handed.

So, remember, friends, if someone on the net promises you golden mountains, it’s probably another “heir to the prince” with another trick.

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