Meta announced on Tuesday it is rolling out new tools designed to protect users of Messenger and WhatsApp from potential scams. These features include new warnings for risky behavior and on-device scam detection.
WhatsApp and Messenger Protections
For WhatsApp, new warnings will appear when users attempt to share their screen with an unknown contact during a video call. This is designed to prevent users from accidentally revealing sensitive data like bank details or verification codes to scammers.
For Messenger, users can now enable a setting called "Scam detection" within the Privacy & safety settings. When this is turned on, users are alerted if they receive a potentially suspicious message from an unknown connection that exhibits signs of a scam.
Meta confirmed that because this detection happens directly on the user's device, end-to-end encryption remains secure. If an alert is triggered, users are given information about common scam tactics, such as fraudulent job offers, and are provided options to block or report the suspicious account.
Combating Cybercrime Syndicates
As part of its broader effort to combat scams, Meta recently took action against over 21,000 Facebook Pages and accounts that were impersonating customer support to trick people into sharing personal information.
The company also detected and disrupted close to 8 million accounts across Facebook and Instagram since the start of the year that were linked to criminal scam centers. These centers, which operate out of countries including Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, target vulnerable people across the world using various platforms, including messaging, dating apps, and social media. These schemes often involve romance baiting (or "pig butchering"), a type of investment fraud where criminals use psychological manipulation to build emotional bonds, steer victims toward bogus cryptocurrency investment platforms, and ultimately steal their funds.
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