Meta Rolls Out New Anti‑Scam Tools for WhatsApp and Messenger

Meta is launching new protections to help users avoid scams across WhatsApp and Messenger. The company says it has already detected and disrupted nearly 8 million accounts linked to scam centers in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE and the Philippines since the start of 2025, and taken action on more than 21,000 Facebook Pages impersonating legitimate customer support operations.

What’s new

• WhatsApp screen‑share warnings: If you try to share your screen with someone who isn’t in your contacts during a video call, WhatsApp will show a prominent warning reminding you that screen sharing exposes everything on your phone (including banking details). Only share with people you trust.
• AI scam detection in Messenger (testing): When a message looks suspicious, Messenger will surface a warning and let you forward it to Meta for AI review. If flagged, it explains common red flags (e.g., upfront payments for jobs, fast‑cash promises, gift card or wire requests) and offers quick actions to report and block.
• Crackdown on fake support: Ongoing enforcement against Pages pretending to be customer service for banks, shipping firms, retailers and more.

Why it matters

Scams increasingly target less tech‑savvy users and the elderly, often leveraging social engineering on chat platforms. Proactive warnings (like during screen sharing) and inline AI guidance can interrupt the scam before money changes hands, while platform‑level takedowns reduce exposure.

Tips and availability

• Availability: Screen‑share warnings on WhatsApp begin rolling out now. The Messenger AI detection feature is in testing; wider rollout timing hasn’t been announced.
• Security basics: Enable passkeys for quick, phishing‑resistant sign‑in and run Security Checkup to review recovery info and password hygiene.
• Remember: Don’t send gift cards or wire transfers to strangers; verify job offers and support numbers through official websites.

References:
Feature overview and context ·
Meta Transparency Center

Discussion: Would AI warnings change how you respond to unexpected messages or calls, or do you prefer relying on your own judgment?