WhatsApp Rolls Out New Safety Tools to Spot Scams and Protect Users
Overview of WhatsApp’s Anti-Scam Enhancements
In early August 2025, WhatsApp introduced robust new safety features aimed at helping users identify and avoid scams, alongside a massive crackdown on scam accounts. These WhatsApp safety tools led to over 6.8 million accounts tied to criminal scam centers being proactively banned in the first half of the year.
Group Chat Safety Overview
When added to a group by someone not in your contacts, WhatsApp now presents a Safety Overview. It displays critical group details such as who added you, group creator, member count, and creation date, and offers additional WhatsApp safety tools and guidance. You can leave the group without opening it, and notifications remain muted until you decide to stay.
Unknown-Contact Chat Alerts
WhatsApp is also testing alerts for messages from unknown contacts. These alerts are part of WhatsApp safety tools to provide contextual clues before starting a chat with someone not in your contacts, helping you make a more informed decision and avoid dangerous interactions.
Collaborative Scam Disruption
WhatsApp, Meta, and OpenAI recently collaborated to disrupt a Cambodia-based scam operation. Scammers had used AI tools to craft fraudulent messages, which directed victims across platforms—from WhatsApp to Telegram and TikTok—before asking for cryptocurrency deposits.
3-Step Safety Guidance: Pause, Question, Verify
WhatsApp emphasizes a simple yet powerful user safety mantra within its array of safety tools:
- Pause before responding to unknown messages.
- Question whether the request makes sense, looks too good to be true, or urges quick action.
- Verify by contacting the person through a different, trusted channel if they claim to be someone you know.
