A secret campaign took down millions of WhatsApp accounts!

In a move described as one of the largest digital campaigns to combat fraud, the “WhatsApp” service, affiliated with the “Meta” company, announced that it succeeded in blocking about 6.8 million fake accounts during the first half of this year, before their owners were able to send any message.

The company indicated that the vast majority of these accounts were created by criminal groups operating within forced labor camps in Southeast Asia, targeting users with tempting offers related to fake jobs or quick-profit investments, especially in the field of cryptocurrencies.

WhatsApp official, Claire Davey, pointed out that some scammers resort to artificial intelligence tools, such as “GPT Chat,” to formulate the first messages that are used as bait to lure victims to other applications such as “Telegram.”

Davy added that some fraudulent operations were thwarted in cooperation with international bodies, including an operation that took place in Cambodia with the participation of “Meta” and “OpenAI”, which reflects a joint move to confront the growing threats.

In a related context, Meta announced the launch of a new feature on WhatsApp that alerts users when they are added to groups that include unknown people, and gives them the option to leave the group directly without opening the conversation.

The step falls within an integrated strategy aimed at enhancing the security of users, at a time when artificial intelligence tools are being used as a double-edged sword: between those who fight cybercrime and those who employ it to deceive millions of users around the world.