Meta Axes Over Two Million “Pig Butchering” Accounts

NBC News reports:

Some major tech companies including Meta are taking steps to combat “pig butchering” scams, which trick Americans out of billions of dollars each year through fake online friendships and romances. Pig butchering scams are elaborate and often take months to unfold.

Scammers will patiently strike up an online friendship or romantic relationship with a victim, eventually guiding them to invest in elaborate fake cryptocurrency ventures. Victims become convinced they’ve found a way to get rich, and sometimes give away their entire savings before realizing it was all a scam.

Meta on Thursday announced it has taken its first major steps into addressing the scams, including dedicating staff to identify where scammers operate, sharing that information with international law enforcement, and taking down more than 2 million accounts this year.

Read the full article.



In its latest security report, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp highlighted its role in fighting scams that originate in crime compounds, primarily in Asia. https://therecord.media/meta-takedown-pig-butchering-2million-accounts

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— The Record (@therecordmedia.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 1:02 PM