WhatsApp rolls out new safety features to fight online scams

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Scammers are getting sneakier, and even the most cautious internet users can fall victim. 

In response, Meta has announced new security updates aimed at protecting users from being tricked in group chats and one-on-one conversations.

One major update is focused on group chats. Now, if someone who’s not in your contact list adds you to a WhatsApp group, you’ll receive an alert before even opening the chat. 

The notification will include details about the group and safety tips, giving you the option to leave instantly without checking the messages. 

But if you think the group might be familiar, you can still open it to confirm before deciding what to do.

Scammers often contact people on one app, like Instagram, then move the conversation to WhatsApp to avoid detection. 

To combat this, Meta is also testing new features that warn users when chatting with strangers. 

These alerts may soon include extra information about who you’re messaging to help you decide if it’s safe to continue the conversation.

In its latest safety report, Meta revealed that it banned more than 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts in the first half of 2025 alone. 

Many of these were linked to scam centers, often based in Southeast Asia, that use forced labor to run widespread fraud campaigns. 

These scams include fake cryptocurrency deals, pyramid schemes, and get-rich-quick offers, where victims are pressured to send money in exchange for rewards that never actually arrive.

Meta urges users to be skeptical of any unknown number offering fast cash or making strange requests. 

On WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Messenger, the company advises users to “pause, question, and verify” before responding.

These new tools and warnings are part of Meta’s broader push to make its messaging apps safer in an increasingly risky digital world. 

While no tool is perfect, these updates aim to give users more control and awareness to help them avoid becoming the next victim of an online scam.

Are WhatsApp’s new scam detection features enough to protect users from increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts? Should messaging apps take even more aggressive steps to verify user identities and block suspicious activity? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via our Twitter or Facebook.