Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has announced the removal of more than 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to scams during the first half of this year, as part of an ongoing global effort to curb online fraud.
According to Meta, many of the deactivated accounts were connected to scam centres operated by organised criminal networks in Southeast Asia.
These centres, which have been widely reported to rely on forced labour, are responsible for large-scale fraudulent activities targeting users worldwide.
The announcement comes alongside WhatsApp's introduction of new anti-scam features aimed at protecting users from potential fraud.
One such measure includes notifying users when they are added to a group chat by someone not in their contact list — a tactic often used by scammers.
Meta said the crackdown targets a rising trend in which fraudsters hijack WhatsApp accounts or add users to group chats promoting bogus investment opportunities and other fraudulent schemes.
“WhatsApp proactively detected and took down accounts before scam centres were able to operationalise them,” Meta stated.
In a specific instance, WhatsApp collaborated with Meta and OpenAI — the developer of ChatGPT — to disrupt a scam operation run by a criminal group in Cambodia. The group had offered cash rewards for likes on social media posts as part of a fraudulent rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme.
Meta revealed that the scammers had used ChatGPT to generate scripted instructions for potential victims.
Typically, fraudsters would initiate contact through text messages, then shift communication to social media or private messaging platforms. Meta noted that these scams were often concluded on payment or cryptocurrency platforms.
“There is always a catch, and it should be a red flag for everyone: you have to pay upfront to get promised returns or earnings,” the company warned.
Scam centres that exploit victims for billions of dollars have been traced to countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand.
These operations are not only run by criminal syndicates but are also known to coerce individuals into participating in the scams under duress.
Authorities across the region have issued warnings urging the public to be vigilant against such frauds. They recommend enabling WhatsApp’s two-step verification to help secure user accounts from being taken over.
In Singapore, for example, police have advised users to remain alert and cautious of any unusual messages or requests received via messaging applications.
Source: BBC News
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