Meta Platforms-owned chat app WhatsApp is introducing a range of upgrades designed to fight criminal scammers and other forms of fraud on the platform.
In a statement, Meta said it is introducing new tools designed to fight “sophisticated messaging scams, including taking down millions of accounts linked to criminal scam centres and the roll-out of new in-app safety features designed to protect users globally”.
The company said that in the first half of 2025, it “proactively detected and banned” more than 6.8 million accounts associated with “criminal scam centres”.
“The fight against scams is a relentless one, and we are continually evolving our defences to stay ahead of bad actors,” said Kojo Boakye, vice president of public policy, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, at Meta.
The company said criminal scam centres often run multiple campaigns simultaneously, ranging from deceptive cryptocurrency investments to elaborate pyramid schemes.
“A common red flag for these scams is the demand for upfront payments to secure promised returns. These fraudulent activities frequently span multiple platforms, starting on dating apps or via text messages, then migrating to social media, private messaging apps like WhatsApp, and ultimately to payment or crypto platforms,” it said. “This multi-platform approach is designed to evade detection by individual services, making comprehensive disruption more challenging.”
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WhatsApp is also deploying new features designed to protect against known scam tactics, Meta said. These include:
- Group messaging: A new safety overview will now appear when a user is added to an unfamiliar group by someone not in their contacts. This overview provides key group information and safety tips, allowing users to exit the group without viewing the chat. Notifications from such groups will be silenced until the user explicitly chooses to engage.
- Individual messaging: WhatsApp is testing new approaches to caution users before they engage with unknown contacts. This includes providing additional context about the sender when initiating a chat with someone not in their contacts. — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
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