California (Web Desk) WhatsApp has started testing a new scam alert feature to protect users from potential fraud. The feature is currently available in a new Android beta version.
According to the website WABetaInfo, the feature is designed to alert users in a timely manner about potentially fraudulent messages sent by unknown contacts. In case of a potential threat, an alert will appear directly in the chat, allowing users to decide whether to block and report the sender or trust the conversation.
According to the report, the feature will not automatically prevent a scam attempt but will provide users with additional information about a potential threat so they can make an appropriate decision themselves.
The scam alert feature will be optional and will not be enabled by default. Users will be able to activate it on Android devices by going to the Accounts section in WhatsApp Settings.
According to Meta, the feature will analyse potentially fraudulent messages using an on-device machine learning model. During this process, the content of messages will not be transferred to the company’s servers, preserving end-to-end encryption protection.
The feature is currently in the testing phase, so a date for its official availability to all users has not yet been announced.