WhatsApp begins testing new scam alert feature on Android

WhatsApp has started rolling out its new Scam Alert feature to some Android users enrolled in the app's beta programme, signalling that a wider release could be approaching. The feature was spotted by WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo in WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.26.34.1. WhatsApp first began developing Scam Alert earlier this year before Meta officially detailed the feature. WhatsApp warns users about potential scams As its name suggests, Scam Alert is designed to warn users when an incoming message from an unknown sender appears to be potentially fraudulent. The sender will not be notified that the recipient has received a Scam Alert warning. When a warning appears, users can choose to mark the sender as trusted or block and report the account. If users mark the conversation as trusted, they can also choose to share the last five messages from the chat with WhatsApp to help improve the feature's accuracy. Feature must be enabled manually Scam Alert is optional and must currently be manually activated through WhatsApp's Settings > Account menu on Android. Meta said the feature uses an on-device machine learning model to identify potential scam messages. 'No message content leaves the device for classification or is auto-reported to WhatsApp, Meta, or anyone else,' Meta said in an official blog post. The company said the approach allows Scam Alert to work alongside WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption while giving users control over whether they want to use the warning system. The feature is currently limited to some beta users, and WhatsApp has not announced an exact date for its wider public rollout.