WhatsApp has introduced a suite of new safety features aimed at helping users detect and avoid scams in both group and individual chats.
The move comes alongside the announcement that the Meta-owned messaging platform has banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to global scam networks in the first half of the year.
The new tools are designed to give users more context when engaging with unfamiliar contacts, particularly when they are added to unknown groups or receive messages from strangers.
WhatsApp also disclosed that it has worked in coordination with OpenAI to dismantle a sophisticated fraud network operating out of Cambodia.
“In the first six months of this year, as part of our ongoing proactive work to protect people from scams, WhatsApp detected and banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centres,” the company stated.
For group chats, WhatsApp has launched a new safety overview that appears when users are added to unfamiliar groups by people outside their contact list. This feature displays whether the person who added them is a known contact, highlights other familiar members in the group, and offers safety tips. Users can choose to open the chat for more details, but group notifications will remain muted until they opt to stay.
The update is intended to prevent surprise additions to potentially harmful or spam-filled groups and reduce the spread of scam links sent through mass group invitations.
In one-on-one chats, scammers typically initiate contact on external platforms before shifting the conversation to private messaging apps like WhatsApp. To address this, the company is testing new features that provide users with contextual information when they begin chats with unfamiliar contacts, giving them time to assess whether the communication is legitimate.
The joint operation with OpenAI uncovered that scammers had been using ChatGPT to craft deceptive initial messages, drawing victims into WhatsApp conversations before moving them to other platforms like Telegram to finalize their scams. These frauds often included fake job offers, rent-a-scooter investment schemes, and cryptocurrency scams. In many cases, fraudsters built trust by showing falsified earnings before pressuring victims to invest increasing sums into crypto wallets.
WhatsApp has urged users to be cautious, advising them to examine messages closely, question urgent requests, and confirm the identity of contacts claiming to be friends or relatives through separate communication channels.
The new features, which include contextual prompts and safety alerts, are being gradually rolled out. WhatsApp noted that these tools will be refined based on user feedback and in response to evolving scam tactics.
