Meta Blocks 11M Scam Accounts, Arrests 21 in Thailand

Meta is fighting back against the global scam epidemic, and the results show real progress in protecting people from sophisticated fraud operations.

The company announced it removed 10.9 million Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to criminal scam centers in 2025 alone. Meta also blocked more than 159 million scam ads across all its platforms this year.

The crackdown isn't just digital. Meta recently worked with Thai police, the FBI, and law enforcement from the UK and Australia on a major operation that led to 21 arrests. Investigators shut down over 150,000 accounts connected to Southeast Asian scam compounds targeting victims in the US, UK, and across Asia and the Pacific region.

These scam operations have become industrialized businesses, often run by criminal syndicates using forced labor. The most common scheme is called "pig butchering," where scammers build fake relationships with victims before tricking them into fraudulent investments.

Meta is now deploying new protection tools to catch scams before they succeed. The company expanded its Messenger scam detection features globally and added warnings on WhatsApp when users try to link a potentially suspicious new device. Facebook is also testing alerts that flag friend requests from possible scammers.

"Joint operations like this demonstrate the importance of close cooperation between law enforcement agencies and industry partners," said Gregory Kang of the Singapore Police Force.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches beyond individual victims. Meta is tackling the problem at its source by requiring more advertisers to verify their identities. The company aims for 90 percent of its ad revenue to come from verified advertisers by the end of 2026, up from 70 percent today.

New AI detection systems are learning to spot when scammers impersonate celebrities, brands, or public figures. These tools can also catch deceptive links designed to lure people to dangerous websites.

Law enforcement raids on scam compounds have increased across Southeast Asia and beyond. In February, Meta supported a Nigerian Police Force operation that disrupted an alleged scam center in Nigeria.

No single company or country can solve this problem alone, but experts say Meta's platforms are critical battlegrounds where better defenses make a real difference.

Meta's investment in technology and partnerships is creating higher barriers for scammers trying to reach new victims, making the internet a safer place one blocked account at a time.