Meta Platforms, the US technology company that operates Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has removed more than 150,000 accounts linked to organized online scam operations following a coordinated international enforcement effort.
The accounts were associated with scam networks operating mainly from Southeast Asia. Investigators said many of the operations were connected to fraud centers in countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that conduct large-scale online scams targeting victims around the world.
The crackdown was carried out in cooperation with law enforcement agencies from several countries. The operation involved authorities, including Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force.
According to officials, the investigation also resulted in the arrest of 21 individuals suspected of participating in the fraud networks. Law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia also contributed intelligence and support during the operation.
Authorities said the criminal networks carried out several types of scams through social media platforms. These included romance scams, cryptocurrency investment schemes, and impersonation scams in which attackers pretended to be government officials or law enforcement officers.
Investigators described the scam operations as organized businesses that rely on social media accounts to contact potential victims and build fraudulent relationships before requesting money or sensitive information. Some networks operate from compounds that host large groups of workers conducting outreach to victims in multiple languages.
The recent enforcement action followed a pilot operation conducted in December 2025 that led to the removal of about 59,000 accounts, pages, and groups associated with similar scam activity. The new operation expanded cooperation between technology companies and law enforcement agencies in several regions.
Meta also announced new tools intended to help users identify suspicious activity on its platforms. These include alerts on Facebook when a friend request shows indicators of a potentially fraudulent account, such as unusual profile details or limited connections.
Additional measures include warnings on WhatsApp when someone attempts to link an account to a device in a way that may indicate fraud. The company is also expanding scam detection features on Messenger that analyze conversations for patterns associated with common online scams.
Meta said cybercriminal groups continue to adapt their tactics and frequently shift operations between platforms and regions. The company stated that it will continue working with law enforcement agencies and other partners to identify and disrupt scam infrastructure used to target users online.