WhatsApp has introduced an AI-powered scam detection feature that can warn users when a conversation appears suspicious, potentially giving Pakistani users another layer of protection against online fraud.
Meta’s new Scam Alert feature uses on-device machine learning to examine conversations for signs of potential scams. The feature is currently being tested with a limited number of users.
When the system detects a conversation that appears suspicious, WhatsApp displays a warning to the user. The recipient can then choose to block the sender, report the chat or continue the conversation.
If the warning is incorrect, users can mark the conversation as trusted, after which WhatsApp will stop issuing Scam Alert warnings for that particular chat.
Meta says the detection process takes place on the user’s device. According to the company, message content does not leave the device for scam classification, and conversations are not automatically reported to WhatsApp or Meta.
Users who mark a chat as trusted can optionally share their five most recent received messages with WhatsApp to help improve the feature’s accuracy.
The new system adds to WhatsApp’s existing security measures. Earlier this year, Meta introduced scam detection for suspicious device-linking requests, another method used by fraudsters to gain access to WhatsApp accounts.
The latest feature comes as scams continue to target messaging and social media users worldwide, including through fake investment opportunities, impersonation schemes and other fraudulent approaches.
Data cited in reports on the feature showed that consumers reported losing $425 million to scams originating on WhatsApp in 2025, highlighting the scale of the problem.
WhatsApp has more than 3 billion users globally, making the platform a major target for scammers as well as a significant channel for Meta’s security initiatives.
For Pakistani users, the feature could become particularly useful as WhatsApp remains one of the country’s most widely used messaging platforms. However, Meta has not announced a specific Pakistan launch date for the new Scam Alert feature.
