WhatsApp Scam Alert: WhatsApp is taking another step towards making scam messages easier to spot. The company has started testing its new Scam Alert feature with a small group of Android beta users. The feature was announced by Meta earlier this month and is meant to warn people when a conversation with an unknown number looks suspicious.
The timing of the beta test also suggests that WhatsApp could be getting closer to a wider release.
How WhatsApp’s Scam Alert Works
The feature has reportedly started appearing for some users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.34.1, according to WABetaInfo.
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What makes Scam Alert different is that the detection happens on the phone itself. WhatsApp downloads a machine learning model to the device, which then looks at incoming messages from people who aren't in the user's contacts.
If the model finds patterns that are commonly seen in scam conversations, WhatsApp will put a warning in the chat. The other person won't be able to see this warning.
At that point, the decision is still in the user's hands. They can block the account, report the conversation or simply carry on chatting if they think the message is genuine.
It Won’t Automatically Send Your Messages to WhatsApp
Privacy is an important part of the feature. Meta says the machine learning model works on the device and that messages aren't automatically reported to WhatsApp, Meta or any third party just because Scam Alert is enabled.
WhatsApp has also made the feature optional. Users who want to try it can manually switch it on by going to Settings > Account.
There is a way to deal with false alarms as well. If WhatsApp wrongly identifies a conversation as suspicious, users can mark that chat as trusted. The warning will then disappear, and the feature won't flag that particular conversation again.
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You Can Help Improve Scam Detection
WhatsApp is also allowing users to share their last five messages with the company to help improve the accuracy of Scam Alert.
Meta says its model has been trained using patterns found in scam conversations that users have reported. The idea is to teach the system what these conversations typically look like without having WhatsApp routinely receive the contents of users' chats.
For now, the feature is only reaching a limited number of Android beta testers. WhatsApp hasn't confirmed when Scam Alert will be available to everyone, but its arrival in beta testing is a sign that the feature is moving closer to a public rollout.