WhatsApp shuts down 6.8 million fraudulent accounts, introduces safety feature
WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, is taking significant steps to help users stay safe while messaging. The company's latest initiative includes a suite of anti-scam tools designed to make it easier to spot potential scams and stay secure.
At the heart of this effort is a new "safety overview" feature that activates when a user is added to a group by an unknown contact. This feature presents key information about the group, offers safety tips, and allows users to leave the group immediately without viewing any messages. Notifications from such groups remain muted until the user confirms they want to stay, reducing the chance of exposure to scams.
In individual chats, WhatsApp is testing alerts that provide users with additional context about unknown contacts before they engage, helping them make informed decisions and avoid fraudsters who initiate contact on other platforms before moving conversations to WhatsApp.
These anti-scam tools are part of a broader security effort that includes AI-driven detection systems to identify and remove scam accounts. In the first half of 2025 alone, WhatsApp took down 6.8 million such accounts. The company also collaborates with partners like OpenAI to disrupt scams leveraging AI for fake messages, such as cryptocurrency fraud schemes.
Key features of WhatsApp's anti-scam tools include:
- Safety overview on group additions by unknown contacts, with exit options and muted notifications until user confirmation.
- Contextual warnings on chats with unknown individuals to provide more background and caution.
- AI-based account removals targeting large-scale scam operations.
- Global cooperation in dismantling sophisticated scams involving AI-generated content and cryptocurrency fraud.
Users can also take steps to secure their accounts. To change the "Who can add me to WhatsApp group chats" setting, open WhatsApp, tap the Settings icon, tap Privacy, scroll down and tap Groups, and choose one of the available options. Enabling two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a PIN code to access the account.
Scammers often scrape the internet for names, numbers, emails, and social media accounts to make their messages seem more convincing. Users should be extra cautious if someone messages them on WhatsApp but claims to have found them on another platform. It's wise to verify the identity on another trusted channel before following links or moving conversations.
To avoid scams, it's smart to use strong antivirus software to block threats and alert you to phishing attempts disguised as WhatsApp messages. Additionally, limiting who can add you to WhatsApp group chats can help reduce exposure to scams. Users can do this by reviewing and adjusting settings like Profile Photo, About, and Last Seen & Online in the Privacy menu.
In a partnership with internet safety expert Rachel Tobac, WhatsApp is sharing a three-step strategy to stop scams before they succeed: "pause, question, and verify." By pausing before responding, questioning the authenticity of the message, and verifying the information, users can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to a scam.
[1] WhatsApp Press Release, "WhatsApp Introduces New Anti-Scam Tools," www.whatsapp.com/news/2025/01/new-anti-scam-tools/
[2] Rachel Tobac, "Stop Scams Before They Succeed: WhatsApp's Three-Step Strategy," www.racheltobac.com/blog/whatsapp-scam-strategy/
[3] TechCrunch, "WhatsApp's New Anti-Scam Tools: What You Need to Know," techcrunch.com/2025/01/15/whatsapps-new-anti-scam-tools-what-you-need-to-know/
[4] Wired, "WhatsApp's War on Scams: How the App is Fighting Back," www.wired.com/story/whatsapps-war-on-scams-how-the-app-is-fighting-back/
[5] The Verge, "WhatsApp's New Anti-Scam Tools: A Closer Look," www.theverge.com/2025/01/16/21073042/whatsapp-anti-scam-tools-explained-features-safety-overview-contextual-warnings-ai-detection
- WhatsApp's security effort against scams includes AI-driven detection systems for identifying and removing scam accounts, as well as a new safety overview feature that presents key information when a user is added to a group by an unknown contact.
- Additionally, the messaging app provides contextual warnings in individual chats with unknown individuals, helping users make informed decisions to avoid potential scams, and encourages the practice of pausing, questioning, and verifying before responding to any messages.
