Meta deactivates 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts that were used for scams: this is known

Meta said Tuesday it disabled more than 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts being used in scams during the first half of 2025. The accounts, mostly associated with scam centers in Southeast Asia , were identified and shut down before they could be used, the company said.

"Our team identified the accounts and disabled them before the criminal organizations that created them could use them," said Clair Deevy, WhatsApp's director of external affairs.

According to WhatsApp executives, many of these scams are operated by organized gangs and take the form of fictitious cryptocurrency investments or pyramid schemes . In a blog post, Meta warned:

"There's always a catch, and this should be a red flag for everyone: you have to pay upfront to get the promised returns or profits."

The company also warned that scammers often approach strangers with promises of low-risk investment opportunities, requests for payments for supposedly overdue debts, or promises of easy money .

"We've all been there: someone you don't know tries to message you or add you to a group chat, promising low-risk investment opportunities or easy money, or claiming you have an overdue bill," Meta wrote in her blog post.

"The reality is that they are often scammers trying to take advantage of people's kindness, trust, and willingness to help, or their fears that they could be in trouble if they don't send money quickly," the company summarized.

Meta also revealed that it successfully disrupted a scam originating in Cambodia in collaboration with OpenAI. The scheme used ChatGPT to generate fraudulent messages that directed victims to WhatsApp chats via deceptive links.

In response to these threats, WhatsApp began displaying security warnings to users who are added to groups by unknown contacts. These notifications, called "security summaries," offer information about the group, tips for detecting scams, and the option to leave the group immediately.

*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from AFP, and reviewed by the journalist and an editor.