WhatsApp is testing a new Scam Alert feature that could help Android users identify suspicious messages from unknown senders before they fall victim to fraud.
The feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers through WhatsApp Beta for Android version 2.26.34.1. There is no confirmed date yet for its wider rollout.
Scam Alert is designed to flag messages that show signs of common scams. Users can then choose to trust the sender or block and report the account. If they mark a conversation as trusted, WhatsApp may also ask them to share the last five messages to help improve the system’s scam detection.
A key part of the feature is that the detection is designed to happen on the user’s device. Meta says an on-device machine-learning model analyses messages for potential scam patterns, meaning the content is not sent to WhatsApp, Meta or another third party for classification. Chats are also not automatically reported.
This approach is intended to add another layer of protection while maintaining WhatsApp’s existing end-to-end encryption.
Scams on WhatsApp commonly involve fake job offers, investment opportunities, delivery messages, prize claims and impersonation attempts. A warning at the right moment could encourage users to stop and verify a message before sharing personal information, clicking a link or sending money.
The feature is reportedly optional. For beta users who have access to it, the setting can be enabled through Settings > Account.
Reader’s Note: Scam Alert is still being tested and may not be available to every Android user. Users should continue to verify unexpected messages independently and never share OTPs, passwords, banking details or other sensitive information with unknown contacts.
