Meta Sues to Stop ‘Malicious’ WhatsApp Scheme Affecting Millions

Meta Platforms Inc. claimed in a new lawsuit that a set of Chinese internet companies have undertaken a “malicious” scheme that compromised over one million accounts on WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging application.

The complaint said three companies based in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Taipei City, Taiwan have developed unofficial versions of WhatsApp under the name “HeyMods” and “HeyWhatsApp,” and sold the apps on their website and the Google Play Store.

The fraudulent applications, which first appeared in June 2021, contained malware that took the user’s real WhatsApp account credentials, which was then used to compromise their real account, according to ...