New Delhi, August 31(APAC Media): WhatsApp has started testing its new Scam Alert feature with a limited group of Android beta users, giving users a warning when a message from an unknown contact appears to match known scam patterns.
The feature is available to select beta testers running WhatsApp Android version 2.26.34.1, according to WABetaInfo. It is designed to identify potentially suspicious conversations using an on-device machine learning model.
WhatsApp Scam Alert Feature
Meta has made the feature optional. Users can reportedly enable it through Settings > Account. Once activated, the model analyses messages from people who are not saved as contacts and checks them against patterns associated with reported scam conversations.
If WhatsApp detects a possible scam, it displays a warning directly inside the chat. The warning is visible only to the user and does not alert the sender. Users can then choose to block the account, report the chat or continue the conversation.
How WhatsApp Scam Detection Works
Meta said the machine learning model is downloaded to the user’s device and performs the analysis locally. The company has also said that message content is not automatically sent to WhatsApp or Meta during this process.
Users who believe a warning was incorrect can mark the conversation as trusted. WhatsApp also gives users the option to share their last five messages with the company to help improve the feature.
The limited Android beta test suggests WhatsApp is moving closer to a wider rollout, although Meta has not announced a public release date yet.
