WhatsApp is introducing a new anti-fraud feature designed to protect users from con artists. Meta announced the Scam Alert tool, which is currently in beta testing and runs an on-device machine learning model to flag suspicious messages without granting WhatsApp, Meta or any third party access to private conversations.
The feature is optional and must be activated manually through WhatsApp’s settings menu. Once enabled, the AI tool is automatically downloaded to the handset, and users can disable it at any time.
How Scam Alert Works
Scam Alert operates in the background by classifying incoming text messages from unknown senders. It examines communication patterns commonly linked to scams on the app, including requests for personal information, an urgent tone and deliberate trust-building tactics. The latter is frequently seen in romance-baiting scams, in which fraudsters create a fake emotional bond before asking for financial assistance.
When a potential scam is detected, WhatsApp displays a banner warning that only the recipient can see. From there, users can block the sender, report the conversation, ignore the warning or trust the unknown sender. Choosing to trust the sender removes the warning flag and stops future alerts for that conversation.
On-Device Learning and Privacy
Because the system relies on machine learning, it continues to improve over time. Users can opt to share the last five messages from a trusted sender directly with WhatsApp to help maintain the model’s accuracy. This data sharing does not happen automatically; users must actively opt in to provide the information.
Scam Alert is currently in limited beta, and Meta has not yet confirmed a timeline for the feature’s full public launch.
WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging app in the world, with more than 3 billion people using it daily. According to figures cited for 2025, consumers lost £1.7 billion to social media scams over the course of the year. On WhatsApp specifically during that period, users in the United States lost £335 million.
