WhatsApp is testing a new Scam Alert feature that warns users about possible scams using a machine learning model that runs on the device. The feature is currently available in a limited beta and is being tested with researchers in WhatsApp's Bug Bounty community.
According to WhatsApp, no message content leaves the device for analysis or is automatically reported to WhatsApp, Meta, or anyone else. Scam Alert is optional and can be turned off at any time.
WhatsApp says Scam Alert works alongside end-to-end encryption and gives users control over scam warnings.
How WhatsApp's On-Device Scam Alert Works
The Scam Alert model is trained on conversations that users have reported as scams. It checks if messages from people who are not in your contacts match patterns seen in known scams. The model looks at language and how the conversation is structured to decide if a message might be a scam.
If the model detects a potential scam, the user sees a chat warning asking them to block, report, or continue the conversation. "Today, we're sharing an early look at Scam Alert, a new, optional feature that runs an on-device machine learning model to alert a user about potential scam messages," WhatsApp said.
If a user decides a warning is incorrect, they can mark the chat as trusted, which removes the warning and prevents Scam Alert from flagging that chat again. Users who mark a chat as trusted can also opt in to share the last five messages received with WhatsApp to help improve the feature's accuracy. According to WhatsApp, the message data processed by the local model and the model itself never leave the device.
Scam Alert is one of several recent steps WhatsApp has taken to protect users from scams. Earlier security features were also aimed at stopping fraud before users interact with scammers.
In March, Meta announced that WhatsApp would warn users when behavioral signals suggest a device-linking request may be fraudulent, a common tactic used to hijack accounts by tricking users into scanning a malicious QR code or sharing a linking code.
Two months earlier, WhatsApp rolled out "Strict Account Settings," a lockdown-style security feature that protects journalists, public figures, and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks.
That feature followed cases in which journalists, activists, and political figures had their phones infected with spyware, including NSO Group's Pegasus, through messaging apps in zero-click attacks that require no user interaction.
WhatsApp's messaging service is used by over 3 billion people across more than 180 countries.
Scam Alert Controls and Beta Availability
Since Scam Alert is optional and still in beta, not everyone will see it right away. When it becomes available to your account, you can:
- Check your WhatsApp settings to see if Scam Alert is enabled. You can turn it on or off at any time.
- Review any chat warning that appears on messages from non-contacts, and choose to block, report, or continue.
- If you think a warning is a mistake, you can mark the chat as trusted. This will stop Scam Alert from flagging that chat again.
- When you mark a chat as trusted, you can also choose to share the last five messages with WhatsApp. This is optional and helps improve Scam Alert's accuracy.
Scam Alert is still in limited beta as WhatsApp tests it with its Bug Bounty research community. There is no timeline yet for a wider release or details on which regions will get it first. WhatsApp says on-device processing and optional controls will stay part of the feature as it expands.
Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post WhatsApp Rolls Out On-Device Scam Alert to Warn Users of Potential Scam Messages appeared first on gHacks.
☞ El artículo completo original de Arthur Kay lo puedes ver aquí
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