WhatsApp is introducing a suite of new features aimed at helping users detect scams on its platform, as part of broader efforts to curb fraud and abuse. The announcement comes as the Meta-owned messaging service revealed it has taken down more than 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centers targeting users worldwide.
The new tools are designed to flag suspicious activity in both group and individual chats. In group settings, WhatsApp will now display a “safety overview” when users are added to a new group by someone not in their contact list. The overview will include key details about the group, such as whether the person who added you is a contact or if other members are people you know, along with safety tips.
If users think they may recognize the group, they can view the chat to gather more context. Until they choose to stay in the group, notifications will remain muted.
For individual messages, WhatsApp is testing features to warn users before they start conversations with people outside their contact lists. This comes in response to growing tactics used by scammers, who often initiate contact elsewhere online before moving the conversation to private messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
The company says the goal is to give users “additional context about who they’re messaging” when reaching out to unknown numbers.
WhatsApp also disclosed that it partnered with OpenAI to disrupt a scam ring operating from Cambodia. The coordinated effort revealed how scammers used ChatGPT to generate initial phishing messages that included links to WhatsApp chats, before redirecting victims to Telegram.
“These attempts ranged from offering payments for fake likes to enlisting others into a rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme, or luring people to invest in cryptocurrency,” WhatsApp explained in a blog post.
It continued: “As OpenAI reported, the scammers used ChatGPT to generate the initial text message containing a link to a WhatsApp chat, and then quickly directed the target to Telegram, where they were assigned a task of liking videos on TikTok. The scammers attempted to build trust in their scheme by sharing how much the target has already ‘earned’ in theory, before asking them to deposit money into a crypto account as the next task.”
To help users protect themselves, WhatsApp advises taking time before responding to messages, questioning whether the task makes sense, and checking for pressure tactics. If someone claims to be a friend or family member, users are urged to verify the identity through another communication method.
The move marks WhatsApp’s latest effort to combat online scams, as messaging platforms face increasing pressure to safeguard users from fraudulent activity.
