WhatsApp has removed 6.8 million accounts associated with harmful activities.

WhatsApp has successfully dismantled 6.8 million accounts linked to fraudulent activities in the first half of 2024, marking a significant escalation in its battle against organized cybercrime. This takedown operation, announced by parent company Meta, specifically targeted scam centres operating across Southeast Asia that exploit forced labour to execute sophisticated fraud schemes aimed at global victims. The platform employed advanced detection systems and partnered with OpenAI to identify scam content effectively. Enhanced anti-scam measures were introduced, including automated alerts that notify users when they are added to group chats by contacts outside their established network, addressing a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

The crackdown revealed sophisticated coordination between multiple platforms and artificial intelligence systems. In a notable case, WhatsApp collaborated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT to disrupt a Cambodian criminal organisation that had weaponised the AI to generate detailed instructions for victims of a fake rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme. Consumer protection organisations acknowledged the progress made but emphasised the need for more comprehensive preventive measures. Which?, a prominent UK consumer rights group, stated that Meta must expand these efforts across its entire platform ecosystem, including Facebook and Instagram. Regulatory pressure is mounting through the Online Safety Act, with Ofcom expected to enforce stricter compliance standards for fraudulent paid advertisements across social media platforms.