Meta announced Tuesday that it is introducing new tools to protect Messenger and WhatsApp users from potential scams.
To that end, the company said it is introducing new warnings on WhatsApp to prevent sensitive information such as bank account details or verification codes from being leaked if users try to share their screen with unknown contacts during a video call.
In Messenger, users can go to their privacy and safety settings and choose to enable a setting called “Fraud Detection.” When enabled, users will be alerted when they receive suspicious messages from unknown connections that may contain signs of fraud.
“Detection occurs on the device, so chats remain secure with end-to-end encryption,” Mehta said in a support document. “If we notify you that a chat may contain signs of fraud, we will ask you if you would like to send recently received messages to AI review. Messages shared with AI are no longer end-to-end encrypted.”
If the review determines that it is indeed a potential scam, users will be provided with more information about common scams, such as job offers in exchange for money, instant cash promises, and work-from-home offers for jobs that are not possible remotely. Users are also given the option to block or report the offending account.
As part of its ongoing efforts to combat fraud, the social media giant announced it has taken action against more than 21,000 Facebook pages and accounts posing as customer support in an attempt to trick people into sharing personal information.
Additionally, Meta said that since the beginning of the year, it has detected and blocked nearly 8 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram associated with criminal fraud centers that target people, including the elderly, around the world through apps such as messaging, dating apps, social media, and cryptocurrencies. The fraud group operated in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines.
These schemes, also known as romance baiting (also known as pig slaughter), are operated by cybercrime syndicates based in Southeast Asia and refer to a type of investment fraud in which criminals entice victims to deposit increasingly large sums of money onto fake platforms with promises of bigger returns.
Fraudsters often initiate contact with victims through dating apps, social media platforms, or private messaging services like WhatsApp, after being trafficked into the area and held against their will with the lure of well-paying jobs.
Once they establish a trusting relationship, the operation moves to the next stage, where the threat actor lures the victim to a supposed investment opportunity (often associated with cryptocurrencies), tricks them into depositing funds, and ultimately vanishes without a trace.
“At the heart of the scam is psychological manipulation. Perpetrators cultivate an emotional bond, instill confidence, and in some cases even simulate a romantic relationship,” Infoblox noted in an analysis published earlier this month. “This prolonged grooming process lowers the victim’s defenses, lulls them into believing promises of extraordinary profits, and leads to devastating financial losses.”
