WHATSAPP users are being urged not to ignore a new alert that is designed to help them avoid scams.
Global cyber crime is on the rise with 73 per cent of adults in the US recently reporting they had experienced an online attack.
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WhatsApp is adding an additional feature designed to protect users from group chat scams that could empty their bank accounts.
The new feature will affect anyone using the service who is invited to a group chat.
“When someone you might not know invites you to a group chat, the app will display a new ‘safety overview’ that appears before you can even see the messages,” reported The Verge,
“The overview will include information about the group, including when it was created, who invited you, and how many members it has.
“It will also include a warning to watch out for scams, as well as information on how to limit who can invite you to group chats on WhatsApp.
“Once you’ve viewed this page, you can choose to exit the group without even looking at the chat or view the chat for more information.”
Context cards
The feature builds upon the “context card” that WhatsApp rolled out last year, which shows key information about a group.
While context cards will appear for all the groups you’re invited to, WhatsApp’s new safety overviews will appear as an “interstitial” page when someone you might not recognise sends you an invite.
These overviews tie into WhatsApp’s broader initiative to combat scams, which have become increasingly prevalent.
A recent survey from the Pew Research Center stated 73 per cent of adults in the US say they’ve experienced a scam or attack.
In June, WhatsApp worked with Meta and OpenAI to take down a criminal scam center in Cambodia, which used ChatGPT to create text messages promising work to people who joined a WhatsApp chat group.
Bad actors
After directing people to Telegram, scammers asked them to “like” videos on TikTok as their first task.
The bad actors then showed people fake reports about how much money they had “earned” and later asked them to deposit money into a cryptocurrency account as another “task”.
Other forms of the scam involved a rental scooter pyramid scheme and trying to get people to invest in crypto, according to WhatsApp.
“By using more platforms, they’re trying to cover their tracks,” said Clair Deevy, WhatsApp’s director of external affairs. “But it also means that when we are working together, they are exposing themselves to more detection systems and teams across all the platforms at once.”
Along with its new group chat safety feature, WhatsApp is also testing ways to fight scams that involve bad actors contacting you on other platforms before asking you to transfer your conversation to WhatsApp.
It is trying out new ways to alert people to “pause” before they start a chat with someone not in their contacts and will show more context about who they’re about to message.
What to do if your WhatsApp account gets hacked
While WhatsApp often instructs users to never share their SMS verification codes with anyone (not even friends or family), sometimes people get tricked into doing so.
“If you’re tricked into sharing your code and lose access to your WhatsApp account, read the instructions below to recover your account,” the instant messaging platform stated on their website.
“If you suspect someone else is using your WhatsApp account, you should notify family and friends as this individual could impersonate you in chats and groups,” the statement said.
To retrieve your stolen WhatsApp account, sign in to the app with your phone number and verify it over SMS.
Once you sign in, you’ll automatically log the hacker out.
You might also be asked for a two-step verification code, however, if the hacker has set this up, you’ll need to wait seven days to be able to sign in.
In any case, the hacker will still be booted off your account.
If you’re logged in but you think someone is using your account via WhatsApp Web/Desktop, follow this guide to log out on all computers.
