The fight against online scammers is always changing, and tech giant Meta, which owns WhatsApp, recently shared some important updates. WhatsApp removed over 6.8 million user accounts during the first half of 2025. These accounts were all connected to scams, with many linked to criminal groups in Southeast Asia. These gangs often force people into labor to carry out their deceptive schemes.
WhatsApp is also introducing new safety features to protect its users. For instance, if an unknown person tries to add you to a group chat, you will now get an alert. This acts as an early warning system, helping to block scammers before they can even contact you directly.
How Scammers Deceive People
The process usually starts with a simple message. Scammers try to move the conversation from general messages to social media or chat apps like WhatsApp. In a new twist, some scam artists are now using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to write convincing advice or instructions for their victims. This makes their stories sound more believable.
They then try to persuade victims to join fake investment projects or other money-making scams. These schemes often end with victims sending money or digital assets through various payment platforms. Meta warns everyone: “Always be careful if you are asked to pay money upfront in exchange for high returns or income later.” That situation is unusual and often a sign of a scam.
Meanwhile, a consumer watchdog group in the United Kingdom believes Meta must do more. They argue that Meta should fight crime harder across all its platforms. This includes stopping the deceptive ads that appear on Facebook and Instagram.
Protecting Yourself Online
Agencies across Southeast Asia are advising people to be cautious. They suggest using simple but effective security measures. For example, turn on two-step verification for your WhatsApp account. This makes it much harder for anyone to steal your account, adding a strong layer of defense.
The criminal gangs behind these scams have stolen billions of dollars from people worldwide. It is known that these groups often operate from countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand. These gangs are infamous for tricking people into working for them. Then, they force these workers to scam others to get personal information or money. This sad situation often happens in ‘call center’ gangs, where some individuals, including those from Thailand, become victims, and some even become criminals themselves.
While WhatsApp has taken steps to help users stay safe from scammers, these efforts alone are not enough to fully stop the problem. This is a massive, widespread issue that no single organization can fix alone. The entire world needs to work together to solve these deep-rooted criminal systems.