If you’ve ever received a message from an unknown number claiming to be someone you know, you’re not alone—and WhatsApp is well aware of this growing scam.
To tackle the issue, the Meta-owned messaging platform has introduced a new security feature designed to help users identify potential fraud before engaging with unknown contacts.
With the new feature, WhatsApp will display a warning before a user opens a chat from an unknown number. The aim is to give users a chance to think twice before interacting with a potential scammer.
According to WABetaInfo, the feature is being rolled out for both Android and iOS users.
WhatsApp will provide key details about the unknown number, including the country where it is registered, whether it appears safe to save as a contact, and whether the sender shares any mutual groups with the recipient.
After reviewing this information, users can decide whether to continue the conversation. The sender will not receive any notification that these details have been displayed.
The feature is expected to be particularly useful because most of WhatsApp’s existing security tools only become active after a chat has already started.
The new warning, however, appears before any interaction takes place, helping users avoid potential scams at an earlier stage.
A common WhatsApp scam begins with a message from an unfamiliar number claiming to be a friend or family member using a new phone number. Since the message often appears harmless, many users respond without suspicion.
Scammers take advantage of this trust. WhatsApp’s new feature addresses the problem by informing users where the sender’s phone number is registered—such as whether it originates from another country—before they open the chat.
The report does not explain exactly what will trigger the warning, but it suggests that messages from numbers registered in a different country could be one of the factors.
