According to Meta, the WhatsApp application removed 6.8 million accounts linked to scammers who attacked people worldwide in the first half of this year.
This is reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
According to the social media tech giant, many of them were linked to scam centers run by organized crime in Southeast Asia, which often used forced labor in their operations.
Meta made this statement as WhatsApp introduced new anti-scam measures to warn users about potential fraudulent activity, such as adding a user to a group chat by someone not in their contact list.
These precautions are aimed at an increasingly common tactic where criminals hijack WhatsApp accounts or add users to group chats, promoting fake investment programs and other fraudulent schemes.
Meta stated that WhatsApp "proactively detected and removed accounts before scam centers could implement them."
In one instance, WhatsApp collaborated with Meta and ChatGPT developer OpenAI to shut down a scam involving a Cambodian crime group that offered money for likes on social media posts to promote a fake scooter rental pyramid scheme.
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It states that scammers used ChatGPT to create instructions given to potential victims. According to Meta, scammers typically first contact potential victims via text message before moving the conversation to social media or private messaging apps.
It is noted that these scams were usually carried out on payment or cryptocurrency platforms.
There's always a catch, and that should be a red flag for everyone: you have to pay upfront to get the promised profit or earnings
Scam centers, which defraud people of billions of dollars, are known to operate in Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand. These centers are also known for recruiting people who are then forced to commit fraudulent acts.
Authorities in the region have urged people to be cautious about potential scams and to use anti-scam measures, such as WhatsApp's two-step verification feature, to protect their accounts from theft.
For example, in Singapore, the police also warned users to be careful with any unusual requests they receive in messaging apps.
Addition
The Italian Antitrust Authority has launched an investigation into Meta over the artificial intelligence feature in WhatsApp. The company is suspected of abusing its dominant position by installing the feature without user consent.