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Meta is using a variety of tactics to counter “pig butchering” investment scams on its platforms, which can involve organized crime syndicates and thousands of forced laborers.
Since 2022, Meta has expanded its focus from scam centers in Cambodia to ones in Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates, according to a blog post. The efforts have also involved collaborating with police in the US and Asia, and talking to various non-governmental organizations. Over 2 million accounts have been banned in 2024 alone, Meta says, at least some of them flagged as “Dangerous Organizations and Individuals” for their links to organized crime.
The company adds that it’s on the lookout for attempts to circumvent bans, for instance scanning for the “behavioral and technical signals” associated with scam centers. That data is used to improve automatic detection, as well as block malicious infrastructure when possible.
Meta is collaborating with other tech companies as well. One example comes from a scam that was originating out of Cambodia, but targeting Chinese and Japanese victims. OpenAI noticed that the scammers were using its software to create and translate content, and so it passed the info along to Meta for further action. Meta is a part of a coalition called Tech Against Scams that includes partners such as Coinbase and Match Group.
“Pig-butchering” is essentially a more elaborate investment scam in which criminal groups build trust through platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp, luring people into sending more and more money, frequently via cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. If victims can’t spend anymore or ask for their cash back, the scammers disappear.
Meta explains that many of the people working in scam centers are victims themselves, having been drawn in by false job promises, and coerced into running the scam — sometimes under the threat of violence. The company hasn’t named any specific crime syndicates involved, but says that the groups’ targets are around the world.
