Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed more than two million accounts related to the scam known as “Pig Butchering” this year in collaboration with international police forces.

The Pig Butchering scam is “one of the most egregious and sophisticated fraud scams,” according to the social media company. It is a form of online fraud that builds trust with victims through online interaction; the scammers build trust by posing as romantic interests or reliable business partners, only to manipulate and coax the victims into making substantial investments (usually in cryptocurrencies.)

“The criminal compounds force their workers to engage in a wide range of malicious activities, from cryptocurrency, gambling, loan and investment scams (e.g., Pig Butchering) to government and other impersonation scams,” the company explains.

Once the victims transfer their money, they are often unable to recover their funds as the scammers vanish.

Southeast Asia is identified as a cybercrime hotspot

While “Pig Butchering” is a global issue, Meta has identified the Southeast Asia region, specifically countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Laos, as a hotspot for these operations.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, scam compounds run by organised crime emerged in the Asia-Pacific region as one of the major sources of Pig Butchering’ and other scam activity,” according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

These scams often involve organised criminal syndicates that use unemployed individuals, which they attract with fake job opportunities in local job markets, recruitment platforms, and forums. Once hired, these individuals are forced to work as online scammers, under duress and sometimes physical threats, to perpetuate the fraud, according to Meta.

The US company has been actively targeting these scam hubs for some time now. “The Royal Thai Police has been working with Meta on disrupting criminal scam centres for over two years,” informs the police department from the country in a press statement.

Through a combination of internal resources and collaboration with local law enforcement and industry partners, the company has been able to track down and shut down several criminal scam compounds. The business is also using its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals (DOI) policy to designate and block criminal entities.

Meta rolls out protective features

Meta has unveiled protective features across its apps to help users identify and avoid scams. For example, Facebook’s Messenger and Instagram now display warnings when users receive unsolicited or suspicious messages. The warning urges users to exercise caution before engaging with unknown users. WhatsApp has also introduced a feature that provides more context about group chats, helping users identify potential risks when they are added to unfamiliar groups.

The features will be welcomed by users since, according to the US Institute of Peace, an estimated 300,000 people are believed to be forced into scamming operations, generating approximately US$64 billion in annual global losses. Meta is not the only social media platform tackling sophisticated scams. LinkedIn is also facing a surge in fraudulent activity, with scammers using fake job offers to exploit users.