Meta Takes Down 6.8 Million WhatsApp Accounts in Largest Enforcement Action Against AI-Fraud Scammers

Meta takes down 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to fraudulent activities in the first half of 2025, marking its largest crackdown against criminal networks using artificial intelligence for deception.

The tech giant collaborates with OpenAI to curtail the activities of organized crime groups employing AI-generated messages to target potential victims.

A significant number of these shuttered accounts were traced back to criminal hubs in Southeast Asia, where criminals function under conditions akin to modern slavery, according to authorities.

These illicit operations have ballooned into multi-billion-dollar ventures through schemes known as “pig butchering” scams.