Meta has deleted 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts in 2025 linked to finance scam operations, underscoring the scale of online fraud. A new report reveals that in some countries, over 90% of finance-related ads are risky or outright scams, often luring victims with unrealistic returns and urgency tactics.
We're sure we've all seen finance ads on the internet, promising us higher returns, "free" capital, zero commissions, and so on. They often sound too good to be true, and it turns out most of them are. According to forex broker experts at BrokerChooser, Meta has recently deleted 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to finance scam operations in the first half of 2025. This highlights just how prevalent online fraud has become.
According to the report, in the past two years, Americans alone have lost $2.7 billion to social media scams. In the US, nearly a quarter (24.21%) of finance-related ads on Meta were deemed safe. The majority, 62.30%, were actually classified as risky. These ads typically push speculative trading schemes without proper disclaimers, while 13.49% were outright scams.
These shady ads often direct users to personal messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram to bypass platform moderation. Some of the common hooks used to lure their victims in include phrases like "Limited time" or "Don't miss out," combined with calls to "Send WhatsApp" or "Join Telegram."
If you thought that a third of finance ads were shady was bad, it seems other countries have it worse. Take, for example, markets like South Africa, Turkey, or Belgium. The report found that over 90% of finance ads are considered risky or fraudulent. In comparison, the US seems much safer.
South Africa leads the pack in terms of risk. Pretty much every finance ad in the sample was deemed either risky or fraudulent. Over a third (37.50%) were confirmed scams. These often promote bogus investment groups via WhatsApp to avoid scrutiny.
Belgium comes in second place with 94% of finance ads flagged as risky or scammy. The country faces issues where ads push speculative digital currencies and prop trading with claims like "instant account," "500K funding," and "fire your boss." Turkey ranks third, with over 91% of finance ads deemed suspect. Many offer "free daily forex signals" or promise "$1500 per week from a $300 investment."
Germany and the UAE round out the top five, both with more than 90% of finance ads considered sketchy. In the UAE, ads lean heavily on urgency and inflated returns, like "120% refund on your first payout" or "220% ROI within 50 days."
So, the next time you see a finance ad promising you returns that are too good to be true, look away.