WhatsApp Scam Alert Feature Starts Testing for Select Android Users

WhatsApp is testing a new Scam Alert feature that could help users spot suspicious messages from unknown contacts before they become a problem.

The feature is currently available to a limited number of Android beta users running WhatsApp Beta version 2.26.34.1, according to WABetaInfo.

The Scam Alert system uses an on-device machine learning model to identify possible scam messages based on known scam patterns. If a message is flagged, users will see a warning with options to block, report or continue the chat.

One key focus of the feature is privacy. The scam detection model runs directly on the user`s device, meaning messages are not automatically sent to WhatsApp, Meta or third parties for analysis.

If a warning turns out to be incorrect, users can mark the conversation as trusted, preventing further alerts for that chat. They can also optionally share their last five messages with WhatsApp to help improve the system.

The feature is optional and can be enabled through Settings > Account. WhatsApp has not yet confirmed when Scam Alert will be available to all users.