With the rise in reported scams, ‘pig butchering’ has become one of the most common types. In response, Meta is taking action to fight against these organized scam operations.
According to an official blog post, Meta has shut down over two million accounts linked to fraudulent activities. These accounts were from countries like the UAE, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Here’s a detailed look at what this means for you.
Meta bans two million accounts: What went wrong
Meta’s new initiative is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to stop ‘pig butchering’ scams. But what exactly is this scam? The ‘pig butchering’ scam is designed to defraud victims worldwide. These scams are typically executed through social media, text messages, dating platforms, and crypto apps. According to the U.S. Institute of Peace, approximately $64 billion is stolen globally through such scams each year.
The scam begins with criminals building personal relationships with victims online and convincing them to make fraudulent investments, often in cryptocurrency. Victims are usually allowed to withdraw small amounts initially to build trust, but eventually, they are scammed and left with nothing. Reportedly, this scam surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these scams were run by crime groups based in Southeast Asia. These groups often recruit unsuspecting job seekers through misleading ads on job boards and forums, forcing them to work as scammers under threats of physical harm.
The safety measures
To combat these scams, Meta is using a multi-pronged approach, which includes the following:
- Dangerous Organizations and Individuals (DOI) Policy: Criminal groups involved in scams are designated under Meta’s DOI policy, meaning they are banned from using the company’s platform.
- Platform enforcement: Meta has enhanced its detection systems to identify and block fraudulent accounts. This year alone, more than two million accounts were banned, and the company plans to remove more.
- Collaboration with law enforcement and industry peers: Meta is working with NGOs, global law enforcement agencies, and industry partners to tackle these scams.
- Building product defenses: Meta has introduced new features to protect users from suspicious interactions. For example, Instagram and Messenger will now display warnings for suspicious or unsolicited messages. WhatsApp has also added a new feature that shows detailed context cards for group invitations from unknown contacts.
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