WhatsApp has removed 6.8 million accounts linked to global scam operations in the first half of this year, parent company Meta announced.

Many of the accounts were connected to organised scam centres based in Southeast Asia, where criminal groups often use forced labour to run large-scale fraud operations.

The announcement came as WhatsApp introduced new anti-scam features, including alerts when users are added to group chats by someone outside their contact list.

Meta said the takedown effort focused on disrupting a growing trend of scammers hijacking accounts or adding users to fraudulent group chats. These often promote fake investment schemes and other financial scams.

"WhatsApp proactively detected and removed accounts before scam centres could activate them," Meta stated.

In one notable case, WhatsApp, Meta, and OpenAI the developer of ChatGPT teamed up to disrupt a scam network linked to a Cambodian criminal group. The group used ChatGPT to generate fake instructions for victims in a pyramid scheme involving likes-for-cash and a bogus rent-a-scooter business.

Meta said fraudsters typically began with a text message, then moved the conversation to social media or messaging apps like WhatsApp. The scams often concluded with transactions on payment or cryptocurrency platforms.

"There’s always a catch, and it should be a warning sign: victims are asked to pay upfront for promised returns or earnings,” Meta cautioned.

Scam centres operating in countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand have defrauded victims out of billions of dollars. These centres often lure and trap workers who are then forced to carry out scams.

Authorities across the region are urging the public to remain vigilant and use security features like WhatsApp’s two-step verification to protect against account hijacking.

In Singapore, for instance, police have warned users to be cautious of unexpected or unusual messages on messaging platforms.