Mass Takedown of Cyber Fraud

During the first half of 2025, WhatsApp removed over 6.8 million accounts linked to scams, mainly in South Asia, as part of a significant crackdown on cyber fraud. The company also introduced new protective tools aimed at combating criminal activity within its platform.

Scamming Operations

Threat actors were adding unsuspecting users’ phone numbers to WhatsApp group chats, enticing them with promises of lucrative crypto investments. Many of the deleted accounts traced back to organized criminal networks based in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. According to Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, these scam centers often rely on forced labor.

The scale of these operations suggests that their eradication won’t be straightforward. Experts warn that while actions taken against fraudulent accounts are important, scammers may simply adapt and find new ways to target victims.

Protection in Group Chats

WhatsApp now offers features designed to help users identify potential scams. One notable feature is an alert sent when someone outside their contact list invites them to a group chat. This tool could be more effective than merely removing existing scam accounts, according to Suzanne Sando from Javelin Strategy & Research.

The visibility into the groups one is being added to and the ability to leave without entering the chat are key steps,” explained Sando. Entering a chat might lead to curiosity or accidental engagement with malicious content, whereas leaving such conversations without entering them removes these risks entirely.”

Further Improvements Needed

An area that could benefit from further improvement is the ID verification process. This system has potential as a strong deterrent against fraud, even for large-scale operations.

Sando questioned whether stronger controls could prevent bad actors from signing up in the first place and pondered how many legitimate accounts might have been coaxed into participating in scam centers.