Meta has disabled more than 150,000 accounts linked to Southeast Asian scam centres, the company announced on Wednesday. The action was part of a coordinated international operation led by Thailand's Royal Thai Police, alongside the FBI and the US Department of Justice. Thai police arrested 21 individuals in connection with the networks.
The scam centres, many operating from compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, have been running sophisticated operations targeting victims worldwide. Scammers lure users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments, stealing billions of dollars across multiple languages.
Meta introduced new protective tools, including alerts on Facebook for suspicious friend requests and a WhatsApp warning system for fraudulent device-linking attempts. The Facebook tool flags accounts that may falsify profile details, such as location, and provides options to block or report them. WhatsApp's system warns users when someone tries to link their account to an unauthorised device.
Meta also expanded scam detection for Facebook Messenger, allowing users to send unsolicited messages—such as fake job offers—for AI review. The company stated that these measures aim to disrupt criminal activity at its source.
The operation involved law enforcement agencies from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. A pilot action in December resulted in 59,000 account removals and six arrest warrants, with last week's follow-up more than doubling that number.
Chris Sonderby, Meta's vice-president and deputy general counsel, said: 'This operation is a testament to how sharing information and coordinating our efforts can make real progress in disrupting this criminal activity at its source.' Jirabhop Bhuridej, assistant commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police, added that the crackdown 'sends a clear message to criminals' that authorities will continue to pursue cross-border scam syndicates.
