WhatsApp is rolling out new scam prevention tools to help people stay safe on the messaging platform. The company reported that it has removed over 6.8 million accounts tied to global scam operations. The latest updates include a group safety overview and richer context for new one-on-one chats.
Group Safety Overview
WhatsApp will now display an overview of safety when a stranger not in your contact list adds you to the group without you knowing it. This screen identifies whether the user who invited you is in your contacts or not, and the number of people in your group that you recognise. Simple tips on how to be safe are also given in the overview. In case you prefer to look into the group and understand more about them, with the particularities that they might have, you will have a preview mode of the chat without notifications. The notifications are even muted until you. Confirm that you want to stay in the group. This aspect is to prevent unwelcome or bad-intentioned invitations and minimize the probability of being deceived into joining a group’s fraudulent activity.
Context Alerts for Individual Chats
Scammers often reach out on other platforms before inviting you to private chat threads. To prevent this trick, WhatsApp will now test context alerts when you begin a chat with someone not in your contacts. The app will give you further indications concerning the recipient of your text. Such as, you can see how long they have been on WhatsApp or whether you have some common acquaintances. These reminders make the users stop and think whether the discussion is real.
WhatsApp also shared details about its collaboration with OpenAI to disrupt a scam center in Cambodia. Scammers used an AI chatbot to draft enticing messages that promised earnings for liking videos. Their scheme led targets from WhatsApp to Telegram and demanded crypto deposits to unlock payments.
WhatsApp’s team traced the operation and shut down the accounts involved. WhatsApp recommends taking time before acting on unsolicited invitations or offers to protect yourself against messaging scams. Question yourself on whether the demand is sensible, and do not hurry things up. They might count on the status of being a friend or a family member, and in that case, the identity should be checked by a separate call or text. These new features in group and one-on-one chats provide more context and control to users so they can identify and prevent WhatsApp scams.