WhatsApp Launches New Tools to Identify Scam Messages

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Key Takeaways:

WhatsApp scams often start with fake messages offering jobs, money, or urgent help. Many of these scams trace back to organized cybercrime groups running crypto and pyramid schemes.
Meta banned over 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts in early 2025 as part of a crackdown on scams, including operations with OpenAI to stop AI-powered fraud networks.
New safety overview pops up for unknown group invites, letting you check who added you, read safety tips, or leave instantly without opening the group chat.
Test alerts warn when you’re messaging strangers, helping users spot suspicious contact attempts, especially after scams migrated from other platforms.
Meta urges users to verify requests by pausing, checking context, and using trusted apps to confirm identities before replying or sending anything.

Do you get suspicious messages on WhatsApp offering easy money, fake jobs, or urgent requests from unknown numbers? You’re not alone. Scammers are everywhere, and WhatsApp is now stepping in with new tools to help you identify and avoid them before it’s too late.

Scamming has become a full-blown business. Many of these messages come from criminal scam centers, often located in Southeast Asia and sometimes linked to forced labor. These operations run various schemes, from fake crypto investments to pyramid scams. The trick is always the same: they ask for upfront payments with promises of big returns that never arrive.

According to Meta, its security teams are constantly working to detect and block such scams. In just the first half of 2025, WhatsApp banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam networks, often before they even reached potential victims. In one recent case, Meta, WhatsApp, and OpenAI collaborated to shut down a Cambodia-based scam ring that used ChatGPT to craft convincing scam messages.

Two New WhatsApp Anti-Scam Features

To make it even harder for scams to sneak through, WhatsApp is rolling out two new safety tools.

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1. Group Safety Overview

If someone not in your contacts adds you to a WhatsApp group, you’ll now see a safety overview. This will show details about the group along with safety tips. You can leave the group without opening the chat or view more context if it seems familiar. Notifications from such groups will also stay muted until you decide whether to remain.

Whatsapp launches new tools to identify scam messages

2. Alerts for Unknown Contacts

Scammers often start their con on other platforms like SMS or dating apps before continuing on WhatsApp. To tackle this, WhatsApp is testing alerts that pop up when you message someone who’s not saved in your contacts. These alerts will help you decide whether it’s safe to proceed.

Meta’s Golden Rule: Pause, Question, Verify

Along with the new features, Meta is encouraging users to think twice before responding. Here’s their simple 3-step guide:

Pause: Stop and consider if you recognize the number or if the request sounds legitimate.
Question: Does it make sense? Are they offering unrealistic pay, rushing you, or asking for money, gift cards, or PIN codes?
Verify: If it’s supposedly a friend or family member, confirm their identity through another channel — call them directly or use a number you know is real.

These updates are rolling out globally on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. So, if you see new safety prompts popping up in your chats, that’s WhatsApp quietly working behind the scenes to help you stay one step ahead of scammers.

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