Meta Rolls Out New Scam Protections Across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
MENLO PARK, CA – Meta is bolstering security measures across its platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – with a suite of new tools designed to protect users from increasingly complex online scams. The move comes as reports of fraud continue to rise, especially targeting vulnerable populations.
Scammers are exploiting social media to defraud individuals of billions of dollars annually, with americans over 60 losing nearly $5 billion to scams last year alone, according to the FBI. These schemes range from fake job offers and shopping scams targeting younger users, to impersonation and investment fraud impacting those in their 30s and 40s, and a broad spectrum of tactics aimed at seniors.Meta’s new protections aim to disrupt these criminal activities and safeguard its billions of users.
The company reports it has already removed nearly 8 million fake accounts linked to spam operations targeting users through Facebook,Instagram,Messenger,and WhatsApp this year. New features include proactive scam detection within Messenger, which analyzes chats and issues warnings when suspicious activity is detected, along with resources for reporting and blocking malicious accounts.
Facebook and Instagram users will now see prompts encouraging them to utilize Security Checkup, a feature that reviews privacy and security settings and recommends improvements, including the implementation of passkeys - a more secure login method. WhatsApp is introducing a new screen-sharing warning that alerts users if they attempt to share their screen with an unknown contact, a tactic frequently used by scammers to steal sensitive details like banking details and security codes.
While some of these protections operate automatically,Meta emphasizes that features like passkeys and Security Checkup require users to actively enable them. The rollout of these tools is underway and represents a notable step towards creating a safer online surroundings and preventing financial loss and emotional distress caused by fraudulent schemes.