Post by : Shakul

Meta has disabled more than 150,000 accounts on Facebook and Instagram linked to scam networks operating across Southeast Asia following a coordinated international enforcement operation involving several law-enforcement agencies.

The crackdown was carried out during an operation called Joint Disruption Week, which took place in Bangkok and involved authorities from multiple countries including Singapore, the United States and the Philippines. Law-enforcement agencies collaborated with Meta to identify and remove accounts used by organised scam centres targeting victims online.

According to officials, around 4,900 scam-related accounts were removed with the assistance of the Singapore Police Force, which shared intelligence about cybercriminal activities. The operation was led by the Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Authorities in Thailand arrested 21 suspects believed to be linked to online scam activities during the operation. The crackdown marks the second major joint enforcement effort since December 2025, when around 59,000 scam accounts and pages were removed from Meta’s platforms.

Investigations revealed that scam syndicates often target Mandarin-speaking communities, including users in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Experts say criminals exploit language familiarity and high-income markets to increase their chances of success.

Meta also highlighted several common fraud tactics used by these networks. These include impersonation scams, where criminals pretend to be law-enforcement officers or government officials, digital arrest scams, and cryptocurrency investment scams, which often involve building fake relationships before persuading victims to transfer funds.

To improve user protection, Meta has announced new safety features across Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. These include alerts warning users about suspicious accounts, scam detection tools in chat conversations and additional security prompts when someone attempts to link a WhatsApp account to another device.

Officials say collaboration between technology companies and law-enforcement agencies is essential to combat global cybercrime networks. Meta stated that more coordinated operations are expected throughout the year to disrupt scam activities and protect users across the region.

#world news #Global News #Asia News