Users will be notified about suspicious activities such as unrecognized device connections and friend requests.
Meta is enhancing scam detection tools on Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp to help users safeguard their accounts. Meta announced that the new features are designed to alert users to suspicious activities before they interact with them, such as unfamiliar friend requests and device linking notifications, stating, “we know that scammers try to avoid our detection and may not immediately use accounts maliciously.”
WhatsApp users will be alerted when red flags are spotted in behavioral signals for device linking requests, aiding in the prevention of scammers linking their own devices to other WhatsApp accounts. Meta indicates these alerts will reveal the source of the suspicious request, allowing users the chance to reconsider before accepting.
“For instance, they might pose as a talent competition asking you to cast your vote by visiting a website and entering your phone number, followed by a device linking code on WhatsApp,” Meta stated. “They might also attempt to deceive you into scanning a QR code under false pretenses, thereby linking the scammer’s device to your account.”
Similar alerts are being tested for dubious friend requests 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,” such as having no mutual friends or being located abroad, according to Meta. The aim is to help users make informed decisions about accepting, rejecting, or blocking such requests.
Meta is also broadening advanced scam detection on Messenger to additional countries (we have asked for specifics on which ones). Developed on tools introduced almost a decade ago for detecting suspicious chat activity, the enhanced tool will prompt users to share recent chat messages for an AI scam review if it detects patterns indicative of common scams, like suspicious job offers, in conversations with new contacts. If a potential scam is identified, the tool will urge users to block or report the chat partner.