WhatsApp Rolls Out New Anti-Scam Features, Bans 6.8 Million Accounts in Global Crackdown
WhatsApp has introduced a powerful set of safety features aimed at protecting users from rising scam threats. The Meta-owned messaging platform announced on Tuesday that it has banned more than 6.8 million scam accounts in the first half of the year as part of a global crackdown on criminal scam operations.
The company also revealed details of a coordinated enforcement action with OpenAI, targeting fraud networks originating from Cambodia. These efforts are part of WhatsApp’s wider strategy to safeguard users from social engineering, phishing, and investment scams proliferating on private messaging apps.
New WhatsApp Safety Features for Group Chats
A major update involves a new safety overview feature for group chats. When users are added to a group by someone not in their contact list, WhatsApp will display a safety overview panel offering:
- Details about who added them
- Whether other members are in their contacts
- Safety tips to assess the group’s authenticity
Notifications for such groups will remain muted by default until the user chooses to stay. This feature is designed to prevent surprise additions to spam or malicious groups, helping to block fraudulent links and social engineering attacks spread via mass group invites.
Enhanced Security for One-on-One Chats
Scammers often lure victims on other platforms before shifting to private WhatsApp chats, where they escalate the scam. To combat this, WhatsApp is testing contextual prompts when users receive messages from unknown contacts.
These prompts will help users:
- Pause and review unexpected messages
- Spot red flags before responding
- Assess the legitimacy of new contacts
WhatsApp and OpenAI Crack Down on AI-Driven Scams
In a groundbreaking move, WhatsApp detailed its collaboration with OpenAI to disrupt scams that leveraged ChatGPT to generate initial scam messages.
Here’s how the scheme worked:
- Scammers created AI-generated messages to lure victims into WhatsApp conversations.
- Once trust was built, victims were moved to platforms like Telegram, where the scams escalated.
- Fake “earn money” tasks, pyramid schemes, and crypto investment scams were common tactics.
- Scammers used fabricated earnings screenshots to build trust before asking for real money transfers into crypto wallets.
Key Tips from WhatsApp to Avoid Scams
WhatsApp urges users to follow these basic anti-scam best practices:
- Don’t rush into responding to unsolicited messages.
- Be sceptical of urgent requests or high-pressure messages.
- Verify identities through other channels before sending money or personal information.
- Use new contextual safety features to flag suspicious activity.
Rollout and Future Updates
The new features are being rolled out gradually and may evolve based on user feedback and emerging fraud trends. WhatsApp says it remains committed to developing tools that protect users at scale, while working closely with partners like OpenAI to combat increasingly sophisticated scams.
