WhatsApp cracks down on global scams deleting 6.8m fraudulent accounts

Meta unveiled that WhatsApp has deleted a staggering 6.8 million accounts that were linked to fraudulent activities in the first half of this year. This move arises as Meta’s intensified efforts to combat organised fraud.

Majority of the accounts were involved in organizing large-scale financial frauds in Southeast Asia where fraud centres usually conduct massive scams with the help of exploited labour.

Meta’s decision follows the new security feature introduced by WhatsApp that includes special alerts when people will be added to group chats conducting suspicious activities by unrecognizable contacts.

The crackdown will also be helpful to combat the growing strategy of the fraudsters where they persuade innocent individuals to invest in fake schemes via direct messages or hijack their accounts to fetch credentials or bank details.

Additionally, Meta has also highlighted a growing trend in which scammers use artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT to create convincing messages that lure users.

Such a fraud was perpetrated by a Cambodian crime group that utilised AI to craft instructions for a fake “rent-a-scooter” pyramid scheme which offers cash rewards for social media engagement.

The crackdown targets fraud centres in Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand where a large number of such hubs were found. National police and authorities that work against such fraud are also collaborating with WhatsApp for more effective prevention. For instance, Singaporean police have advised vigilance and suggested security measures such as two-factor authentication to prevent account takeovers.