Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger get new scam protections

Meta is adding more fraud detection tools to Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp that can help users protect their accounts. In its announcement, Meta says the new features are intended to alert users about suspicious activity before interacting with them, such as unknown friend requests and device linking notifications, because “we know that scammers are trying to avoid our detection and may not immediately use accounts maliciously.”

WhatsApp users will now receive a warning when red flags are detected in the behavioral signals of device linking requests, helping prevent fraudsters from linking other WhatsApp accounts to their own devices. Meta says these alerts will show a WhatsApp user where a suspicious request is coming from, giving them the opportunity to reconsider the request before accepting it.

“For example, they might represent a talent contest and ask you to cast your vote by going to a website and entering your phone number, followed by a device link code on your WhatsApp app,” Mita said in the ad. “They may also try to trick you into scanning the QR code under false pretenses, which then links the fraudster’s device to your account.”

Similar alerts for suspicious friend requests are also being tested on Facebook. The experimental warnings will appear when Facebook users send or receive a request from “an account that shows certain signs of suspicious activity,” according to Meta, such as not having mutual friends or being in other countries. The goal is to help Facebook users be better informed before deciding to accept, reject, or block suspicious requests.

Meta is also expanding advanced fraud detection on Messenger to additional countries (we’ve reached out to clarify exactly where). Built on tools to detect suspicious chat activity It was introduced nearly a decade agothe expanded tool will prompt users to share recent chat messages to review scams using AI if it detects common scam patterns in conversations with a new contact, such as suspicious job offers. If a potential scam is identified, the tool will encourage the user to block or report the account they were talking to.