Meta brings new anti-scam features to WhatsApp and Facebook

According to the latest reports, there are more than six billion active smartphone users worldwide. This is attracting cyber criminals to prey on naive mobile users.

They use lucrative baits such as online lotteries, fast big cash returns on modest investment, and also use a flimsy digital arrest scam to loot people's hard-earned money.

Also, scammers often attempt to trick people into linking their WhatsApp account to another device or scanning QR codes. This way, they will take control of the messenger app, send messages to the victim's friends, seek financial assistance, and share bank account details. More often than not, the potential victims send an amount without verification and never get their money back.

These crimes are happening mainly on social media platforms and messenger apps.

To curb such illegal activities, Meta has announced to bring new anti-fraud features to WhatsApp and Facebook.

WhatsApp has been updated with a new algorithm to track patterns, and when it sees any signs, the messenger app will alert users, suggesting a linking request might be suspicious.

Facebook's fraud alert feature.

These alerts will show users where the request is coming from and display a clear warning that it may be a scam, giving people the chance to pause and reconsider before it happens.

Similarly, on Facebook, Meta is testing new warnings that will appear when the user sends or receives a request from an account that shows certain signs of suspicious activity, including when he/she do not have many mutual friends with them, or they indicate a different country location in their profile. The alert will help people make informed decisions before blocking or rejecting suspicious requests.

Facebook's fraud alert.

On the Facebook Messenger app, when a suspicious user sends fraudulent job offers or any other lucrative messages, people will receive a warning and have the option to submit messages for AI review. If flagged as a scam, people will be guided on steps to block or report the suspicious account.

And, Meta is also working closely with local security agencies in India and launching new ad campaigns online and on TV to bring awareness among people of potential scams and be cautious, look for suspicious patterns when using social media platforms and apps.

Last year, Meta said it removed over 159 million scam ads, 92 per cent of which were taken down before anyone reported them.

In India in 2025, more than 12.1 million pieces of ad content were removed for violating its policies against Fraud, Scam, and Deceptive Practices, out of which over 93 per cent were removed proactively, the company said.

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