Meta has announced that it deactivated close to seven million WhatsApp accounts in the first half of the year as part of a sweeping crackdown on fraudulent activity across the platform.
According to WhatsApp’s external affairs director, Clair Deevy, the accounts were identified and removed before they could be activated by the criminal networks behind them. She noted that the move is part of a broader effort to strengthen the platform’s defenses against digital scams.
Company officials revealed that many of the fraudulent operations are orchestrated by organised crime groups and typically involve deceptive schemes such as fake cryptocurrency investments and online pyramid scams designed to lure unsuspecting users.
Meta said it is continuing to expand its security infrastructure to stay ahead of evolving tactics used by online fraudsters.
“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,” Meta-owned WhatsApp said in a blog post.
WhatsApp detected and banned more than 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centers, most of them in Southeast Asia, according to Meta.
READ ALSO: Meta Set To Pour Billions Into Building AI Data Centres
WhatsApp and Meta worked with OpenAI to disrupt a scam traced to Cambodia that used ChatGPT to generate text messages containing a link to a WhatsApp chat to hook victims, according to the tech firms.
Meta on Tuesday began prompting WhatsApp users to be wary when added to unfamiliar chat groups by people they don’t know.
Meta announced the rollout of new “safety overviews” designed to help users identify potential scams in group chats and exit suspicious conversations quickly.
In a blog post, the company explained that the safety overviews would provide key details about unfamiliar groups, along with guidance on how to recognise common scam tactics.
It noted that many users had encountered unsolicited messages or group additions involving fake investment opportunities, unpaid bill warnings, or promises of easy money.
Meta stated that such tactics were often used by scammers seeking to exploit people’s kindness, trust, or fear, adding that these fraudsters typically tried to manipulate victims into sending money urgently by creating a sense of panic or obligation.