Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

WhatsApp has announced the rollout of new features aimed at protecting users from scams as part of the platform's ongoing efforts to combat online fraud. These updates include tools designed to help users identify potential scams in both individual and group chats, alongside the removal of over 6.8 million accounts tied to fraudulent activities worldwide, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

The new features, detailed on Meta's website, are focused on empowering users with improved tools to detect and prevent scams. One key update is the introduction of a Safety Overview for group chats.

This feature will alert users when they are added to a group by someone who isn’t in their contacts list. The safety overview provides important information about the group, including whether any members are in the user's contact list. This added transparency aims to help users make more informed decisions about whether to engage with the group.

If users decide to stay in the group, they will be able to access additional context about the chat, with notifications being muted until they choose whether to continue or leave. This gives users more control over their interactions and helps them assess potential risks more carefully.

WhatsApp is also addressing scams that occur in private messaging. Scammers often lure victims to WhatsApp after initiating contact through other platforms. To combat this, WhatsApp is testing features that notify users when they begin a conversation with someone outside their contacts. These notifications will provide extra information about the person, allowing users to make better decisions before responding.

WhatsApp has teamed up with OpenAI to tackle scam operations, specifically targeting a scam center in Cambodia. These scammers had been using ChatGPT to generate convincing yet deceptive messages to trick people into participating in scams involving fake likes, pyramid schemes, and cryptocurrency investments. Victims were often led to Telegram channels, where they were asked to like TikTok videos and invest in cryptocurrency schemes.

WhatsApp’s safety guidelines encourage users to pause before responding to unfamiliar messages. They advise users to assess the message’s legitimacy, question the urgency of the request, and verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a friend or family member through other communication channels.

These updates highlight WhatsApp's continued commitment to improving online security, especially in the face of increasingly sophisticated scams. In addition to these safety features, WhatsApp is expected to integrate AI-based fraud detection tools in the near future, which would help identify suspicious patterns in messages and proactively warn users about potential threats.

By enhancing the user experience with these tools, WhatsApp is working to ensure a safer, more trustworthy environment for all users.