WhatsApp Rolls Out New Safety Feature to Help Users Spot Suspicious Contacts
WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that prompts users to verify unfamiliar phone numbers before opening chats, adding an extra layer of protection against scams and impersonation.
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WhatsApp is rolling out a new safety feature that prompts users to verify unfamiliar phone numbers before messaging them, in an effort to bolster protections against scams and impersonation attempts.
The feature is in development for both Android and iOS and displays a warning screen every time a user attempts to open a chat with a phone number that is not a known trusted contact. Users are given contextual information to help them decide whether to enter the conversation directly.
The warning screen shows the country where the phone number is registered, whether the number is already saved in the user’s contacts and whether both users are part of any common WhatsApp groups, WABetaInfo reported. Then the user can decide whether to continue the conversation or cancel it, and the recipient will not know which option the user chooses.
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Scam Prevention:
The new feature is part of WhatsApp’s wider anti-scam efforts and comes in before a conversation even begins. This latest safeguard is aimed at helping users identify potential risks earlier than current scam warnings on the platform that tend to pop up after suspicious activity has already started.
Meta has also previously warned users to be wary of messages from unknown numbers and to take a moment before replying to messages, querying unusual requests and independently verifying the identity of anyone claiming to be a friend or family member through another trusted means of communication.
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The new warning screen builds those recommendations into the app itself, prompting users to check out important information about unknown contacts before connecting with them.
WhatsApp clarified that the feature is not meant to identify all fraudulent contacts. Some scam numbers might not trigger the warning, and legitimate users might have recently changed their phone numbers or use numbers registered in other countries. So the company still recommends that users verify new contacts on their own when something seems suspicious.
