WhatsApp has introduced a new suite of safety features aimed at helping users identify and avoid scams in both group and private chats, following the removal of over 6.8 million fake accounts linked to global fraud networks. The Meta-owned platform said the move is part of a broader effort to clamp down on scam operations that increasingly target users through deceptive messaging and social engineering tactics.
Announcing the development on Tuesday, WhatsApp said the new tools are designed to provide more context when users are added to unfamiliar groups or receive messages from people outside their contact lists. The platform noted that such unsolicited interactions have become a common entry point for scams.
The latest update now alerts users when they are added to a group by someone not saved in their contacts. It also displays whether other members of the group are known to them. This is meant to reduce surprise additions to spam groups and prevent the rapid spread of fraudulent links. Notifications from such groups remain muted unless the user actively chooses to stay, giving them time to assess the group’s legitimacy before engaging.
On individual chats, WhatsApp acknowledged that scammers often make initial contact through other platforms before shifting conversations to private messaging. To counter this, the app is testing new prompts that provide extra context when a chat is initiated with someone outside a user’s address book. The goal is to give users a chance to pause and evaluate whether a message is suspicious.
In a related development, WhatsApp revealed details of a coordinated enforcement effort carried out in partnership with OpenAI. According to the company, fraudsters in Cambodia had been using ChatGPT to craft convincing messages that lured victims to WhatsApp, before steering them to other platforms like Telegram where scams were completed.
The schemes ranged from fake micro-task earnings programmes and pyramid scooter rental offers to elaborate cryptocurrency investment scams. In many cases, scammers used staged earnings screenshots to build trust before prompting victims to make financial transfers into crypto wallets.
WhatsApp emphasized that while technology plays a critical role in detecting and blocking fraudulent activity, user awareness remains key. The platform urged people to take time when responding to unknown messages, be wary of high-pressure tactics, and confirm identities through other means if contacted by someone claiming to be a relative or friend.
The company’s new safety features are currently being rolled out in phases as testing continues, with refinements expected based on user feedback and evolving fraud tactics. WhatsApp said the initiative reinforces its broader mission to create a safer messaging environment amid a global rise in cyber fraud.
