The WhatsApp messaging app has just deployed a series of new safety features, to enhance user protection against increasingly sophisticated scams.
Notably, these tools are applied to both group chats and personal chats, helping to improve alertness to strange phone numbers while providing appropriate protection instructions.
According to Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp), in the first half of 2025 alone, the platform has blocked more than 6.8 million suspicious accounts to prevent online scams.
Scams often start with text messages or dating apps, then move to social media, messaging apps, and finally payment or cryptocurrency platforms.
Strengthening protection in group conversations
For groups, WhatsApp added a general safety view section, where users will receive warnings when added to the group because their phone number is not in the account.
The app also displays detailed information about the group, while providing safety tips and a quick exit option. To limit harassment, announcements from these strange groups will also automatically sound off.
detecting fraud in personal conversations
In private chat mode, WhatsApp is testing a warning feature when users start chatting with an unregistered phone number.
A warning will be accompanied by information about the sender to help users evaluate their reliability before responding.
Meta said the goal of this feature is to help users make wise decisions when interacting with strangers, reducing the risk of revealing personal information or being lured into transferring money.
Security recommendations from Meta
In addition to the new feature, Meta also recommends that users activate two-step verification, regularly block and report suspicious accounts, read the context cards of messages carefully, and always stay vigilant when receiving contacts from strangers.
With these upgrades, WhatsApp expects to significantly reduce scams targeting users, especially in the context of bad guys constantly changing tactics to bypass protection systems.
