WhatsApp adds scam alert feature for users

WhatsApp is testing a new Scam Alert feature that warns users about possible scams using a machine learning model that runs on the device. The feature is currently available in a limited beta and is being tested with researchers in WhatsApp’s Bug Bounty community.

According to WhatsApp, no message content leaves the device for analysis or is automatically reported to WhatsApp, Meta, or anyone else. Scam Alert is optional and can be turned off at any time.

How Scam Alert Works

The Scam Alert model is trained on conversations that users have reported as scams. It checks if messages from people who are not in your contacts match patterns seen in known scams.

The model looks at language and how the conversation is structured to decide if a message might be a scam. If the model detects a potential scam, the user sees a chat warning asking them to block, report, or continue the conversation.

WhatsApp said they are sharing an early look at Scam Alert, a new, optional feature that runs an on-device machine learning model to alert a user about potential scam messages.

Controls and Beta Availability

Scam Alert is one of several recent steps WhatsApp has taken to protect users from scams. Earlier security features were also aimed at stopping fraud before users interact with scammers.

In March, Meta announced that WhatsApp would warn users when behavioral signals suggest a device-linking request may be fraudulent, a common tactic used to hijack accounts by tricking users into scanning a malicious QR code or sharing a linking code.

Two months earlier, WhatsApp rolled out “Strict Account Settings,” a lockdown-style security feature that protects journalists, public figures, and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks.

That feature followed cases in which journalists, activists, and political figures had their phones infected with spyware, including NSO Group’s Pegasus, through messaging apps in zero-click attacks that require no user interaction.

WhatsApp’s messaging service is used by over 3 billion people across more than 180 countries.

For now, Scam Alert is still in limited beta as WhatsApp tests it with its Bug Bounty research community. They have not yet announced a timeline for a wider release or details on which regions will get it first.

You can check your WhatsApp settings to see if Scam Alert is enabled. You can turn it on or off at any time.

Review any chat warning that appears on messages from non-contacts, and choose to block, report, or continue. If you think a warning is a mistake, you can mark the chat as trusted.

This will stop Scam Alert from flagging that chat again. When you mark a chat as trusted, you can also choose to share the last five messages with WhatsApp. This is optional and helps improve Scam Alert’s accuracy.

WhatsApp says on-device processing and optional controls will stay part of the feature as it expands.