tl;dr
Meta has removed over 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to "pig butchering" scams—complex frauds by Southeast Asian crime syndicates targeting global victims, often involving cryptocurrency transfers to fake investment platforms. The company proactively disabled accounts from networks in Cambodia...
Meta has removed over 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to “pig butchering” scams—complex fraud operations led by organized crime syndicates in Southeast Asia targeting victims globally. These scams begin with unsolicited messages and escalate to encrypted chats, convincing victims to transfer funds, often cryptocurrency, to fake investment platforms where their money is ultimately irretrievable.
The company proactively detected and disabled accounts before scammers could activate them, targeting networks based in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. This enforcement effort aims to disrupt criminal groups ahead of their victimization attempts. Additionally, WhatsApp is introducing new features, such as alerts when users are added to groups by unknown contacts, helping to identify suspicious behavior used to promote fraudulent schemes.
These actions come amid increasing pressure on social media and messaging platforms to tackle scams exploiting their services. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported a record $9.3 billion loss to online scams in 2024, with cryptocurrency fraud alone accounting for $3.9 billion, disproportionately affecting elderly users. Actual figures are likely higher given underreporting.
Many crypto scams originate from messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. Meta highlighted a recent collaboration with OpenAI to dismantle a Cambodian rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme where scammers used AI tools like ChatGPT to manipulate victims. Authorities worldwide urge users to activate two-step verification and be wary of suspicious messages or group invitations.
Despite these initiatives, critics contend that platforms like Meta lack sufficient incentive to fully combat scams. Greg Williamson, senior VP at the Banking Policy Institute, points out that tech companies’ reliance on ad revenue, including from scam-related content, undercuts their motivation to act decisively. For instance, Meta faces accusations of allowing hundreds of thousands of scam ads featuring deepfake impersonations of public figures to circulate widely, complicating victims’ efforts to have deceptive ads removed.
In sum, while tech giants possess the tools to prevent fraud, the financial incentives to prioritize user protection remain misaligned, prolonging the battle against the rising tide of crypto scams on social media and messaging platforms.