Meta unveils new anti-scam tools and awareness drive to protect users from online fraud
New Delhi: Meta has rolled out a series of new safety tools and awareness initiatives to combat online scams, with a particular focus on protecting senior citizens from cyber fraud. The social media giant said the new measures aim to make digital interactions safer across WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram.
On WhatsApp, Meta is introducing a screen-sharing warning feature that alerts users if they attempt to share their screen with an unknown contact during a video call. The company warned that scammers often pressure victims to share screens to steal sensitive data such as bank information or verification codes. “With this new tool, we’re giving users more context to spot and avoid scams,” Meta said.
For Messenger, the platform is testing AI-powered scam detection that identifies and flags potentially suspicious messages. When enabled, users will receive alerts about “potentially scammy” messages from new contacts and can choose to send recent chat messages for AI review. If a scam is suspected, users will be shown details about common fraud tactics and provided with options to block or report the sender.
Across Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp, users can now enable Passkeys, allowing secure logins through fingerprints, facial recognition, or device PINs. Meanwhile, Security Checkup on Facebook and Instagram helps users review account safety settings and suggests steps such as updating passwords.
On WhatsApp, the Privacy Checkup feature guides users through essential privacy options, including who can add them to groups, offering a centralized way to manage their security preferences.
Meta noted that organized scam networks continue to operate globally, often targeting older adults through messaging platforms, dating apps, social media, crypto schemes, and other online channels.
“We continue to identify and block attempts by criminal syndicate-run scam centres to create accounts on our platforms,” Meta stated.
In the first half of 2025, Meta said its security teams detected and disrupted nearly 8 million accounts linked to scam centres in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE, and the Philippines. The company also took down over 21,000 fake pages and accounts posing as customer support in attempts to deceive users into sharing personal information.
