• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, April 14, 2017

Following a crackdown by Google on fake news and false information across its search, video and display network, Facebook on Friday said it disrupted a major spam operation that enabled the company to shutdown thousands of fake accounts.

"It is made up of inauthentic likes and comments that appear to come from accounts located in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries," Shabnam Shaik, technical program manager at Facebook, wrote in a post.

The sophisticated activity tried to mask the fact the accounts were part of the same coordinated operation. Most seem financially motivated. They avoided detection by redirecting their traffic through proxies that disguised their location, she explained.

A Facebook ad now runs at the top of the newsfeed on the site, as well as in several newspaper editions, providing insight into tips for spotting false news.

After an onslaught of deceptive content, including fake news in feeds and spam friend requests, Facebook wants to educate the public on how to spot it and protect themselves against spammers.

In France, Facebook ran the ad in the paper editions of Le Monde, Les Échos, Libération, Le Parisien, 20 Minutes, among others, according to one report.

Shaik's posts highlight the steps Facebook is taking On Wednesday, she explained how the company improved the detection of fake accounts and identifies patterns of activity. For example, Facebook's systems now can find repeated postings of the same content or an increase in messages sent.

In France, the improvements have enabled Facebook to shutter and take action against more than 30,000 fake accounts, she notes.