Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Meta has shut down 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to scam operations in the first half of 2025, and is rolling out new tools to protect users from fraud. WhatsApp External Affairs Director Clair Deevy explained: “Our team identified the accounts and disabled them before the criminal organizations that created them could use them.” Scams spanned bogus cryptocurrency investments and pyramid schemes. Meta warned: “There is always a catch… you have to pay upfront to get promised returns or earnings.” WhatsApp worked with OpenAI to dismantle a scam originating in Cambodia that used ChatGPT to generate messages with links leading users to chat groups. In response, Meta introduced “safety overviews” for unfamiliar chat groups. The new feature provides context about the group and offers a quick exit button. Meta said: “We’ve all been there… added to a group promising easy money or a bill that’s overdue.” ICA/Expat Media
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