Meta has teamed up with global law enforcement agencies to launch a major crackdown on organised online fraud, dismantling scam networks across Southeast Asia and disabling more than 150,000 accounts linked to criminal operations.
The joint operation – involving authorities including the Royal Thai Police, the FBI, the US Department of Justice Scam Centre Strike Force and the Australian Federal Police – targeted large-scale scam centres responsible for defrauding victims across the United States, the United Kingdom and the Asia-Pacific region.
For the digital advertising ecosystem, the crackdown highlights a growing reality: protecting brands online increasingly requires collaboration between technology platforms and law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks operating inside the same digital environments where consumers – and advertisers – spend their time.
Australia joins international effort to disrupt scam syndicates
Australia played a role in the coordinated enforcement effort, with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) participating alongside cybercrime investigators and tech industry partners in what authorities described as a global disruption week targeting organised scam operations.
Kristie Cressy, Detective Superintendent and senior officer in Bangkok for the AFP, said international cooperation is critical in tackling online fraud networks that operate across multiple jurisdictions.
“The Australian Federal Police is proud to support and participate in the joint disruption week with Royal Thai Police, tech industry partners, and international law enforcement,” she said.
“Scam centres and criminal syndicates prey on victims around the world. We work tirelessly with our international partners to disrupt these groups. Success from the Joint Disruption Week is only achieved through strong partnerships with agencies around the world with a common goal, which is to prevent scammers from taking advantage of innocent people.”
Kristie Cressy, Detective Superintendent and senior officer in Bangkok for the AFP. Source: Facebook
Meta disables 150,000 accounts tied to scam centres
As part of the operation, Meta investigators disabled more than 150,000 accounts associated with scam centre networks, while the Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center arrested 21 individuals suspected of involvement in the criminal activity.
The enforcement surge follows an earlier pilot operation in December that removed 59,000 scam-linked accounts, pages and groups across Meta’s platforms and resulted in multiple arrest warrants.
The coordinated effort was part of a broader international push involving agencies from the UK, Canada, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, reflecting the increasingly global nature of organised online fraud.
Authorities say criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia – particularly in countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos – have built sophisticated operations that resemble legitimate business enterprises, targeting victims across multiple regions.
Platforms under pressure to protect users and brands
Chris Sonderby, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Meta, said the operation demonstrates how coordinated action between technology companies and law enforcement can disrupt organised criminal activity at scale.
“We are proud to partner with the Royal Thai Police, the FBI, the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force, and law enforcement agencies from around the world to combat these sophisticated scam networks,” he 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. Our work to combat scams is never done, and we will continue to invest in technology and partnerships to stay ahead of these adversaries.”
For advertisers and agencies, the stakes extend beyond consumer protection.
Online scams have grown into a global industry that erodes trust in digital platforms – trust that underpins billions of dollars in brand advertising across social media ecosystems.
New tools to detect scams earlier
Alongside the enforcement action, Meta also announced a series of new safety features designed to help users detect and avoid scams across its platforms.
These include Facebook alerts about suspicious friend requests, WhatsApp warnings about suspicious device-linking attempts, and expanded AI-powered scam detection on Messenger that flags conversations with common fraud patterns and prompts users to take action.
As scammers continue to evolve their tactics, the company said it will continue working with governments and industry partners to disrupt criminal operations and strengthen protections across its platforms.