Washington: The US Department of Justice has praised Meta and other major technology companies for supporting an international operation targeting online scam networks in West Africa, highlighting the growing role of private firms in combating cross-border cybercrime.
The department shared further details on Tuesday about the coordinated effort, which involved the United Kingdom, law enforcement agencies and technology companies working to disrupt organised fraud operations.
The joint disruption campaign, which began on October 6, brought together authorities from 10 countries and 15 technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Coinbase. According to the US Justice Department, the operation resulted in 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 people who had been trafficked and forced to work at scam compounds in Ghana.
Meta reported removing more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram linked to suspected scam activity. Technology companies also shared intelligence on more than 30 suspected scam centres, helping investigators identify criminal networks and support enforcement action.
The targeted schemes included fraudulent investment offers, romance scams, fake job opportunities and impersonation fraud. The operation also highlighted the link between online financial crime and human trafficking, with some victims reportedly coerced into conducting scams targeting people overseas.
US officials emphasised that cooperation between technology platforms and international law enforcement is essential to disrupting criminal networks that exploit digital services across borders. The operation reflects a broader effort to tackle not only online fraud but also the organised criminal infrastructure and exploitation sustaining these schemes.
