WhatsApp has removed 6.8 million accounts linked to global scam operations in the first half of this year, parent company Meta revealed, as the platform intensifies efforts to protect users from rising cyber fraud.
The banned accounts were primarily associated with organised scam networks operating out of Southeast Asia, including countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Many of these operations are believed to be run by criminal syndicates that exploit forced labour to carry out large-scale online scams.
In a statement, Meta said that many of the accounts were identified and disabled before they could be used for fraudulent activities. “WhatsApp proactively detected and took down accounts before scam centres were able to operationalise them,” the company said.
The crackdown coincides with WhatsApp’s introduction of new anti-scam features aimed at alerting users to suspicious behaviour—such as being added to a group chat by someone not in their contacts list—one of the tactics scammers use to distribute fake investment schemes and other fraudulent content.
One of the more sophisticated scams targeted in the operation involved a Cambodian criminal network promoting a bogus rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme. According to Meta, the group offered users money in exchange for liking social media posts to build trust and legitimacy. Instructions for the scam were generated using ChatGPT, according to Meta, which collaborated with OpenAI in its investigations.
Typically, the fraud process starts with a text message and quickly moves to social media or encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Once contact is established, victims are lured into schemes—often involving cryptocurrencies or digital payment systems—with promises of quick returns or easy earnings. However, these always include an upfront payment, which Meta said should serve as a red flag.
“There is always a catch,” the company warned. “You have to pay upfront to get promised returns or earnings.”
Authorities across Asia have reported a surge in scam operations based in the region, many of which forcibly recruit people to run fraudulent campaigns targeting victims around the world.
In countries like Singapore, police have urged citizens to stay vigilant and activate two-step verification on messaging platforms to prevent account hijacking. Users have also been advised to be cautious of unusual messages or requests, even from familiar contacts, as compromised accounts are often used to lure others into scams.
Meta said the latest efforts reflect a broader commitment to clamping down on cross-platform cybercrime and strengthening digital safety for WhatsApp’s more than two billion users worldwide.
