Meta Rolls Out New Tools to Protect WhatsApp and Messenger Users from Scams

Meta has announced new protections for WhatsApp and Messenger to curb scams. WhatsApp will show warnings when a user tries to share their screen with an unknown contact during a video call, aiming to prevent disclosure of sensitive information such as bank details or verification codes. On Messenger, users can enable a setting called “Scam detection”; once activated, they are alerted to potentially suspicious messages from unknown connections.

Meta notes that detection happens on-device, so chats with end-to-end encryption remain secure, but if a user is notified of signs of a scam, they may opt to send recent messages to AI for review, which means those messages are no longer end-to-end encrypted. If the review flags a scam, users receive guidance on common scams and can block or report the account.

As part of its broader scam-fighting efforts, Meta said it acted against over 21,000 Facebook Pages and accounts masquerading as customer support, and it has detected and disrupted close to 8 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram linked to criminal scam centers targeting the elderly, many run from Southeast Asia. Infoblox noted in an analysis published earlier this month that romance baiting schemes involve psychological manipulation to entangle victims. According to Infoblox.