Firms and police disrupt West African scam networks

Companies and law enforcement disrupted West African scam networks, removing over 3.7 million accounts, arresting 28 people, and rescuing 117.

Tech companies and law enforcement used a London-hosted Joint Disruption Week to target decentralized scam networks based in Nigeria, Ghana, and elsewhere in West Africa. Participants included Meta, Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI alongside the UK National Crime Agency, FBI, and US Justice Department. Meta removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages, and groups—described as mostly impersonating US and UK users, or as mostly targeting people in those countries—while Microsoft suspended suspected accounts. Authorities reported 28 arrests and the rescue of 117 trafficked people, which Meta linked to more than 30 scam-center leads and Ghana compounds; CyberScoop added that Ghana raids began in September. The operation also identified more than $11 million in freezable funds, though whether those funds were seized was left uncertain, and hundreds of devices were seized. Coinbase said it identified more than 65 active victims and stopped more than $415,000 in potential losses. Sources listed different scam types, from investment, job, impersonation, romance, and recovery schemes to law-enforcement impersonation, digital-arrest extortion, and pig butchering.

• On 13 October 2026, Meta, Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and other companies joined the UK National Crime Agency, FBI, and US Justice Department in London for Joint Disruption Week against decentralized scam networks based in…
• Meta removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages, and groups; Meta described them as mostly impersonating US and UK users, while CyberScoop said most targeted people in the United States and United Kingdom.…
• Authorities reported 28 arrests and 117 trafficked people rescued; Meta tied those outcomes to leads on more than 30 scam centers in Ghana, and CyberScoop said raids in Ghana began in September.
• Participants shared more than 30 leads on scam centers, identified more than $11 million in freezable funds (with seizures of those funds described as uncertain), and seized hundreds of devices.
• Coinbase identified more than 65 active victims and stopped more than $415,000 in potential losses.
• Reported schemes differed by source: investment, job, impersonation, romance, and recovery scams (Meta) versus law-enforcement impersonation, digital-arrest extortion, and pig butchering (CyberScoop).