WhatsApp has started a limited beta rollout of Scam Alert, an optional feature that warns users when messages from non-contacts look like scams. Detection runs entirely on the device using a downloaded machine-learning model, with no automatic reporting to WhatsApp or Meta; model releases are logged to a transparency ledger and signed, and users can block, report, trust, or ignore flagged chats.
Why it matters: This matters to everyday users because it could help catch scam and impersonation messages before people reply, pay, or share codes. Users who get access should review the feature carefully, enable it if appropriate, and stay cautious with unsolicited messages even if no warning appears.
Sergiu Gatlan
2026.08.25
83% relevant
This article adds follow-on details to WhatsApp's broader 2026 anti-scam and account-security push, including stronger two-step verification, support for multiple passkeys per account, and richer call-screen context for unknown callers alongside the previously reported Scam Alert rollout.
Sergiu Gatlan
2026.08.13
99% relevant
This article is the rollout report for the same WhatsApp Scam Alert feature, adding details that it is an optional limited beta, uses an on-device machine-learning model, applies to messages from non-contacts, and lets users block, report, trust, or optionally share the last five messages to improve detection.
Eduard Kovacs
2026.08.12
100% relevant
The article establishes a distinct product-security rollout by WhatsApp: a new anti-scam detection system with specific on-device scanning, transparency-log, and analytics design details, separate from the already tracked Signal key-verification announcement.
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