WhatsApp has banned more than 6.8 million accounts linked to global scam operations and is now rolling out new safety features to help users avoid falling victim to fraud.
The Meta-owned messaging platform made this announcement on Tuesday, explaining that the banned accounts were traced to criminal scam centers, including one in Cambodia. It also said the new features will give users more information when they’re added to group chats or messaged by people outside their contacts.
“In the first six months of this year, as part of our ongoing proactive work to protect people from scams, WhatsApp detected and banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centers,” the company said in a blog post.
New Safety Features for Group and Individual Chats
For group chats, WhatsApp has introduced a safety overview feature. This feature shows up when someone who is not in your contact list adds you to a group. It provides key information about the group—like whether the person who added you is in your contacts and if you know any other group members.
The goal is to help users quickly decide whether they want to stay in the group or leave. Until they choose to stay, notifications from the group will stay muted. WhatsApp says this move is to stop people from being added to suspicious or harmful groups that may contain scam links.
For one-on-one chats, WhatsApp is testing a new tool that gives users extra information when they get a message from someone not saved in their contact list. The idea is to help people pause and think before replying to potential scammers.
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Working with OpenAI to Tackle Scam Networks
WhatsApp also revealed that it worked with OpenAI to stop a fraud network based in Cambodia. The scammers reportedly used ChatGPT to write convincing messages that lured people into WhatsApp chats. After that, victims were sent to platforms like Telegram, where the scammers pushed them to invest money in fake crypto schemes, rental scams, and bogus “earn-to-earn” tasks.
According to WhatsApp, the scammers used fake earnings screenshots to build trust before asking victims to transfer money—often to crypto accounts.
“These scams usually start small and harmless, but they end with real financial loss. We’re encouraging people to slow down, double-check, and verify identities before taking action,” WhatsApp warned.
Tips for Staying Safe
WhatsApp reminded users to:
- Take time before replying to unexpected messages.
- Be suspicious of messages that pressure you to act fast.
- Confirm the identity of anyone claiming to be a friend or family member through another method.
The company said its new tools and warnings will help users spot scams more easily and stay safer on the app.