Meta and 14 other leading technology companies have joined law enforcement agencies from 10 countries in a major operation to disrupt criminal scam networks operating in West Africa and targeting victims worldwide.
The operation resulted in the removal of more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram, the sharing of intelligence on more than 30 suspected scam centres, and the arrest of 28 individuals. Law enforcement agencies also confirmed the rescue of 117 people who had been trafficked and held against their will at scam centres in Ghana.
The operation marks the first coordinated disruption specifically targeting scam centres across West Africa and represents the largest initiative of its kind to date, as technology companies and law enforcement agencies intensify international cooperation against online fraud.
Meta, Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Starlink, Adobe and other technology companies announced the results of the operation, which was hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in London in partnership with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and several other American federal agencies.
The initiative brought together public and private sector partners to exchange intelligence, dismantle sophisticated criminal networks and strengthen efforts to protect people from online scams.
Unlike the large, highly industrialised scam compounds prevalent in Southeast Asia, criminal networks operating in Nigeria, Ghana and other West African countries are generally more decentralised. However, authorities warned that criminals continually seek new locations where they believe they can operate with limited risk of detection.
The operation highlighted the importance of coordinated action by law enforcement agencies, technology companies and governments to disrupt these networks wherever they emerge.
Among the key outcomes was Meta’s removal of more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram that were based in West Africa. Most appeared to target victims in the United States and the United Kingdom through profiles impersonating American and British users. Microsoft also suspended accounts suspected of being linked to the fraudulent activities.
In addition to the arrests and rescues, Coinbase proactively identified more than 65 active scam victims and prevented potential losses exceeding $415,000. Information shared during the operation also generated new investigative leads, strengthening the ability of participating platforms to detect and take enforcement action against criminal groups.
International Cooperation Targets Scam Networks
The operation began on Tuesday, October 6, when the NCA convened representatives of leading technology companies and law enforcement agencies at its London headquarters.
The NCA worked alongside the FBI, the US Department of Justice, Homeland Security Investigations and other American agencies, as well as law enforcement partners from Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India.
The opening session included remarks from law enforcement leaders, including Jeanine Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia and leader of the US Department of Justice Scam Center Strike Force. Other participating American agencies included the US Secret Service, the US Department of the Treasury and the Homeland Security Task Force.
Over the following days, participating teams exchanged actionable intelligence to connect information across technology platforms, national jurisdictions and financial systems. The objective was to identify and disrupt criminal networks at multiple stages of the fraud process, from recruiting scammers and establishing digital infrastructure to identifying victims and tracing the movement of stolen funds.
Although most of the identified schemes targeted people in the United States, victims in the UK and other countries were also affected.
The operation also exposed the human cost of these criminal enterprises. Authorities confirmed that 117 people trafficked into Ghana had been forced to work in scam compounds operated by criminal syndicates.
The victims were rescued from imprisonment in a residential compound, where they had reportedly suffered malnutrition and physical and psychological abuse at the hands of their captors. Those responsible were arrested and are facing prosecution.
Seven Types of Fraud Identified
The coordinated operation identified and disrupted several forms of fraud linked to the criminal networks.
These included investment scams, in which criminals establish fake romantic or professional relationships before persuading victims to invest in fraudulent schemes, including cryptocurrency-related investments.
Job and task scams involved fake employment offers or online assignments designed to trick victims into paying upfront fees or transferring money.
Other schemes included law enforcement impersonation scams, in which criminals pose as police officers or government officials to extort money, and military impersonation scams, where fraudsters impersonate military personnel to gain victims’ trust and solicit funds under false pretences.
Non-delivery scams involved sellers accepting payment for goods or services that were never provided, while romance scams relied on fabricated relationships to manipulate victims into sending money.
The operation also targeted scam recovery fraud, in which people who had previously lost money to scammers were approached with false promises of recovering their funds in exchange for an upfront payment, only to be defrauded again.
Meta Pledges Continued Action Against Online Scams
Chris Sonderby, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Meta, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling online fraud.
“Scams are a global threat that demand a global response. Last week, working with the UK National Crime Agency, the FBI, DOJ, and the Homeland Security Task Force, we took the fight to scam centers across West Africa. As part of the disruption, we removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups targeting people in the US, UK, and beyond, and shared leads on over 30 suspected scam centers resulting in dozens of arrests, the rescue of trafficking victims, and cryptocurrency seizures. This operation shows what partnership makes possible, and we’ll keep working with law enforcement and industry to pursue scammers wherever they operate.”
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the National Crime Agency, said cooperation between law enforcement and technology companies had helped authorities target criminals responsible for widespread harm.
“Fraud is a global problem and it takes partnership working across international boundaries to tackle it. Hosting such a rich and dedicated team of law enforcement and technology companies at NCA’s headquarters enabled us to utilize the power of partnerships and strike back at a significant set of criminals who inflict misery on thousands of victims of fraud. Fraudsters can operate from anywhere and will target victims both domestically and globally. The NCA will continue to work with international and private sector partners to tackle fraudsters working upstream, overseas, and online. Collaborating in this way sends a clear signal to criminals that the combined capabilities of law enforcement and industry means that we will relentlessly pursue them and the infrastructure they rely on no matter where they operate.”
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the operation’s wider impact, including arrests, seizures and efforts to identify funds potentially linked to criminal activities.
“Thanks to brilliant partnership with the Department of Justice and the private sector, across multiple African countries, we arrested dozens of criminal actors, seized hundreds of devices, identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds, and truly saved lives. This is what happens when law enforcement executes with precision across the interagency. We are demolishing Scam Centers across the globe and crushing a criminal industry preying on American citizens.”
Jeanine Ferris Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia and founder of the Scam Center Strike Force, said international cooperation was essential to prosecuting criminals operating across borders.
“Transnational fraud demands a transnational response. I have partnered with the NCA and the Crown Prosecutor for England and Wales to push forward cases on both sides of the Atlantic; criminals are not hindered by borders, and neither are we. We will deploy our team wherever in the world transnational criminals target innocent victims.”
Lord Hanson, the UK Minister for Fraud, said overseas criminal networks were responsible for many scams targeting the British public and stressed the importance of coordinated enforcement.
“Criminal gangs operating overseas are behind most of the scams targeting the British public. That is why these multi-agency operations are critical, and my thanks go to all the officers involved in intercepting and arresting these scammers. Our new Online Crime Centre will build on this work to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice, wherever in the world they might be.”
Chainalysis also highlighted the growing sophistication of international fraud networks and the need to identify criminal infrastructure before victims lose money.
“Fraud networks now run at industrial scale, using AI to target victims and move proceeds across chains faster than any manual process can follow. Effective disruption means more than victim reporting and tracing funds after the fact; it means identifying scam infrastructure early enough to prevent losses. Chainalysis is proud to contribute that capability alongside public and private sector partners to hold these criminal organizations accountable.”
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