Meta deletes 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts

Meta announced that it has shut down 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts worldwide associated with fraud attempts in the first half of 2025. The company stated that most of these accounts were linked to organized crime syndicates operating in Southeast Asia. These syndicates use forced labor in countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand to carry out multi-billion dollar scams.

Meta has introduced new security measures as part of its fight against fraud. Users will receive automatic alerts when they are added to a group chat by someone not in their contact list. This system aims to raise user awareness and enable quick intervention against potential fraud attempts.

Scammers try to lure users into fake group chats with promises of investment. In some cases, it has been determined that they also take over WhatsApp accounts to communicate directly. Meta emphasized that scams often involve requests for advance payments and that such requests are a sign of fraud.

Singaporean police and other authorities have stated that users should be cautious of unusual requests coming through messaging apps. Experts recommend that WhatsApp users employ protective measures such as two-step verification to increase account security.