WhatsApp Scams: Meta Shuts Down 7 Million Accounts (image:Unsplash/Dima Solomin)
On Tuesday, Meta reported that it had shut down close to seven million WhatsApp scam accounts in the first half of this year and is increasing the level of protection and security measures against these types of schemes.
In a briefing, WhatsApp executives said that these scams, which include fake cryptocurrency investments and pyramid schemes, are mostly run by organised gangs seeking to get rich quick.
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Meta-owned WhatsApp identified and banned more than 6.8 million fraudulent accounts linked to scam centres, largely based in Southeast Asia.
“There is always a catch and it should be a red flag for everyone: you have to pay upfront to get promised returns or earnings,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.
In a collaboration with OpenAI, WhatsApp and Meta has shut down a scam from Cambodia. This scheme used ChatGPT to create text messages containing links that connect to a WhatsApp conversation, where victims were then targeted.
On Tuesday, the parent company has warned WhatsApp users to be caution when unknown individuals adding them to unfamiliar groups.
As per the WhatsApp new feature, when an unknown individual adds a user to a group, the platform now displays a “safety overview” and it provides key details about the group and offers tips on how to identify potential scams. Users have the option to leave the group immediately without even opening the chat.
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“We’ve all been there: someone you don’t know attempting to message you, or add you to a group chat, promising low-risk investment opportunities or easy money, or saying you have an unpaid bill that’s overdue,” Meta said.
“The reality is, these are often scammers trying to prey on people’s kindness, trust and willingness to help, or their fears that they could be in trouble if they don’t send money fast,” the company added in the blog post.
(with inputs from AFP)
