According to the complaint, the conduct violates both Meta Platforms’ and WhatsApp’s terms of use, which the defendants, users of both services, were bound by. The defendants used the malicious applications to “facilitate the misappropriation of users’ WhatsApp account keys, which include authentication information from the victim’s device, and used them to access the victim’s WhatsApp account without authorization.” Once they gained control of a victim’s account, the defendants leveraged it to send commercial spam. They were designed with the purpose of tricking victims into self-compromising their WhatsApp accounts, the complaint said.

Reportedly, from about May to July 2022, the defendants developed and distributed two “unofficial” versions of WhatsApp available on and the Google Play Store that were really malicious applications containing malware.

Ltd., and Chitchat Technology Ltd, which do business as “HeyMods,” “Highlight Mobi,” and “HeyWhatsApp.” Allegedly, Rockey Tech and Luokai Technology self-describe as an “internet company that specializes in overseas social networking” with more than two billion daily active users, while ChitChat Technology, according to its LinkedIn profile, is a developer of “social and communication products” and the “fastest growing overseas social application start-up company in the industry.” The defendants are Rockey Tech Hk Ltd, Beijing Luokai Technology Co. The breach of contract action says that the defendants violated the plaintiffs’ terms of service by using victims’ accounts to send commercial spam. and WhatsApp LLC accused two Chinese and one Taiwanese company of perpetrating a massive fraud whereby they convinced over one million WhatsApp users to self-compromise their accounts as part of an account takeover attack.

A lawsuit filed Monday by Meta Platforms Inc.

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