WhatsApp shuts down 6.8 million scam accounts
Meta reported that WhatsApp removed 6.8 million accounts linked to Southeast Asian scam networks that use forced labour to run fake investment schemes, luring victims through group chats and private messages.
As part of its anti-scam efforts, WhatsApp has removed 6.8 million accounts linked to fraudulent activity, according to its parent company, Meta.
The crackdown follows the discovery that organised criminal groups are operating scam centres across Southeast Asia, hacking WhatsApp accounts or adding users to group chats to lure victims into fake investment schemes and other types of fraud.
In one case, WhatsApp, Meta, and OpenAI collaborated to disrupt a Cambodian cybercrime group that used ChatGPT to generate fake instructions for a rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme.
Victims were enticed with offers of cash for social media engagement before being moved to private chats and pressured to make upfront payments via cryptocurrency platforms.
Meta warned that these scams often stem from well-organised networks in Southeast Asia, some exploiting forced labour. Authorities continue to urge the public to remain vigilant, enable features such as WhatsApp’s two-step verification, and be wary of suspicious or unsolicited messages.
It should be mentioned that these scams have also drawn political attention in the USA. Namely, US Senator Maggie Hassan has urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to act against transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia that use Starlink satellite internet to run massive online fraud schemes targeting Americans.
Despite SpaceX’s policies allowing service termination for fraud, Starlink remains active in regions where these scams, often linked to forced labour and human trafficking, operate.
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