WhatsApp launches new anti-fraud features and deletes 6.8 million accounts

This is reported by TechCrunch, citing the official Meta blog. Among the innovations is the «safety review» function for group chats, which will appear when you are added to a group by someone who is not from your contact list. It will contain information about who added you, who else is in the group, and which of these people are already in your phone book. In addition, messages from such a group will be disabled until you decide to stay in it.

The company is also testing tools for private chats. They should help users identify potentially fraudulent conversations with unknown people, including those who initiated the conversation outside the platform. WhatsApp will show additional information about the interlocutor before allowing the chat to begin.

Meta also revealed that it was working with OpenAI to combat scammers in Cambodia. A «scam center» there used ChatGPT to generate initial messages to lure victims into Telegram. The scammers offered to perform fake tasks: likes, join pyramid schemes, or invest in cryptocurrencies.

One example: a user receives a message promising quick earnings, then is redirected to Telegram, where they allegedly show the «earned» money and ask to make a contribution to a crypto wallet to continue.

WhatsApp reminds you to think before you respond whether the message seems credible, whether the request makes sense, and whether the person is trying to pressure you into making a hasty decision. If someone seems familiar, it’s a good idea to verify their identity through another channel.

AI-powered fraud is spreading across platforms, including auto insurance, banking, and rental services. The availability of AI tools has made it easy for even non-technical users to fake images and messages.

We also published an article about how US congressmen can no longer use WhatsApp on their work phones and computers. Congress considers the messenger too dangerous.

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