Tech Giants and Law Enforcement Target West African Scam Networks in Major Crackdown
A multinational operation involving Meta and 14 other technology companies has disrupted scam networks operating across West Africa, removed millions of social media accounts and helped rescue 117 people trafficked into scam compounds in Ghana.
Meta says it removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups from Facebook and Instagram as part of the operation, which brought technology companies together with law enforcement agencies from ten countries. Authorities also confirmed the arrest of 28 people, while investigators shared leads on more than 30 suspected scam centres.
The operation, hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in London in partnership with the US Department of Justice and the FBI, is described as the first joint disruption to broadly target scam centres in West Africa. Participants included Meta, Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Starlink and Adobe, alongside other technology and cybersecurity firms.
A majority of the accounts removed by Meta appeared to target people in the United States and the UK, often using profiles that impersonated American and British users. Microsoft also suspended accounts suspected of being linked to the activity.
The operation combined online enforcement with investigations into the networks’ physical operations and financial flows. Coinbase said it identified more than 65 active scam victims and prevented potential losses of over US$415,000. US authorities also reported identifying at least US$11 million in funds that could potentially be frozen.
Victims rescued from Ghanaian compound
Law enforcement confirmed that 117 people were rescued from a residential compound in Ghana, where they had been trafficked and forced to work for criminal operations. Authorities said the victims had been held against their will, were malnourished and had suffered physical and psychological abuse. Suspects were arrested and are facing prosecution.
The networks were linked to a range of fraud schemes, including cryptocurrency investment scams, fake job and task offers, romance fraud, non-delivery scams and impersonation of police, government officials and military personnel. Investigators also identified “recovery” scams, in which people who have already lost money are targeted with false promises to retrieve it in exchange for an upfront fee.
The joint effort began on 6 October, when the NCA convened law enforcement and technology partners at its London headquarters. Agencies from Ghana, Nigeria, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India took part, alongside US federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, the US Secret Service and the US Treasury.
Over several days, participants shared intelligence to connect activity across digital platforms, jurisdictions and financial systems. The work covered multiple stages of the fraud process, from recruitment and online infrastructure to victim identification and the movement of proceeds.
A coordinated response to a cross-border threat
Meta’s vice-president and deputy general counsel, Chris Sonderby, said the operation demonstrated the value of collaboration between technology companies and law enforcement, adding that the company would continue working with partners to pursue scam networks wherever they operate.
NCA deputy director of fraud Nick Sharp said cross-border cooperation was essential because fraudsters could target victims internationally while operating from overseas. He said the agency would continue working with public- and private-sector partners to disrupt criminal networks and the infrastructure they rely on.
Technology companies also highlighted the importance of sharing intelligence to identify activity that no single organisation can see in full. Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit said the London operation enabled industry and law enforcement to work directly together on disrupting accounts and infrastructure, while OpenAI said responsible information-sharing could help partners identify scam networks across platforms
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The operation reflects a growing focus on tackling fraud at its source, rather than relying solely on victim reports or tracing money after it has been lost. Scam centres can operate like organised businesses, recruiting and training workers to carry out coordinated campaigns across multiple services.
For brands and platforms, the crackdown underscores the reputational and consumer-protection stakes of online fraud, as well as the importance of cooperation across sectors. The participating organisations said continued coordination would be needed to prevent criminal groups from relocating or rebuilding their operations elsewhere.
