Meta has revealed that this year alone, it has removed more than two million accounts behind the notorious “pig butchering” scams, which use manipulation and deception to extort money from victims.
The company explains that the people behind these emails are often victims of crime themselves and have been tricked into working for “scam slave operations.”
Meta adds that it is working with government agencies in countries including Myanmar, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and Cambodia to stop these operations in what has been a difficult year for social media scams.
What Is Pig Butchering?
These types of scammers are working across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Meta explains that this type of scam is devastating as the scammer will take time to build a relationship with the victim.
They will then manipulate them to deposit more and more money into an investment scheme. They often ask for cryptocurrency, but there is no investment and the money is gone for good.
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The teams behind this type of scam are run by organized crime and emerged in the Asia Pacific region during the Pandemic.
“While they are mostly based in Asia, scam centers target people across the globe.” – Meta spokesperson
Who Are the Victims?
Meta adds that the people who are actually sending the generic messages are victims themselves.
“These criminal scam hubs lure often unsuspecting job seekers with too-good-to-be-true job postings on local job boards, forums, and recruitment platforms to then force them to work as online scammers, often under the threat of physical abuse.” Meta spokesperson
They are forced to send out generic messages to large numbers of Meta users in what is known as a ‘spray and pray’ tactic. If someone responds, they then engage with them and will direct them to a fraudulent website that looks like an investment platform. They might allow money withdrawals initially but after that, the money only goes one way.
How to Protect Yourself
The social media company has now removed the offending accounts and is working with local authorities to close down operations in their countries. However, it is relentless.
Users of Meta’s platforms are advised to enable two-factor authentication on their accounts, but they might also want to use the selfie verification pathway to restore access to stolen accounts, says Meta.
It adds that users should always treat unsolicited communications with caution and move on if you are ever asked for money on social media. If it seems “too good to be true,” then it probably is.
