# Meta and Chime sue Nigerians behind Facebook, Instagram phishing

**[bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/meta-and-chime-sue-nigerians-behind-facebook-instagram-phishing/](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/meta-and-chime-sue-nigerians-behind-facebook-instagram-phishing/)**

Sergiu Gatlan

By
[Sergiu Gatlan](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/author/sergiu-gatlan/)

February 9, 2022
10:10 AM
0

Meta (formerly known as Facebook) has filed a joint lawsuit with Chime, a financial
technology and digital banking company, against two Nigerian individuals who allegedly
used Instagram and Facebook accounts to impersonate Chime and target its users in
phishing attacks.

The two defendants, Arafat Eniola Arowokoko and Arowokoko Afeez Opeyemi, presumably
used a network of at least five Facebook accounts and over 800 Instagram accounts to
impersonate the fintech company, attempting to take over customers' accounts.

With the help of these accounts, they lured potential targets to Chime-branded phishing
websites to harvest Chime credentials (email and password) and hijack the victims'
accounts.


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One such phishing website is still online at chime62.godaddysites[.]com, asking visitors to
enter their phone number, email, Social Security Number, and Chime password.

The end goal of the scheme was to withdraw money out of hijacked Chime accounts
without the victims' knowledge.

These phishing websites prompted users to enter their Chime usernames and passwords to
compromise users' Chime member accounts and withdraw funds.

_Chime phishing site (BleepingComputer)_
"Since June 2020, Meta has taken multiple enforcement actions against Defendants for
violating its Terms, including as recently as October 22, 2021," according to the
joint complaint Meta and Chime filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of
California.

Meta disabled Facebook and Instagram accounts used to impersonate Chine and blocked
the phishing websites from its services. On July 9, it also sent cease-and-desist letters
notifying the two defendants that their conduct violated the platforms' terms and revoking
their Facebook and Instagram access.

"Nonetheless, Defendants continued to create new Chime-impersonating accounts. In total,
between June 5, 2020, and October 22, 2021, Meta disabled more than 800 Facebook and
Instagram accounts and blocked phishing websites associated with Defendants and their
scheme from being accessed on Facebook and Instagram."


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This action is part of a [broader series of lawsuits filed by Meta against threat actors abusing](https://about.fb.com/news/tag/legal-action/)
its platform for malicious purposes and targeting its users.

For instance, Meta filed a lawsuit in December against the operators of over 39,000
phishing sites targeting Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users.

The same month, Meta also announced that it disrupted the operations of seven spywaremaking companies by blocking their infrastructure on its platform, sending cease and desist
letters, and banning their accounts.

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[Chime](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/chime/)
[Facebook](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/facebook/)
[Instagram](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/instagram/)
[Lawsuits](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/lawsuits/)
[Meta](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/meta/)
[Phishing](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tag/phishing/)

[Sergiu Gatlan](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/author/sergiu-gatlan/)

Sergiu Gatlan is a reporter who covered cybersecurity, technology, Apple, Google, and a
few other topics at Softpedia for more than a decade. Email or Twitter DMs for tips.

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