meta on tuesday Pur: New scam detection features for its messaging apps, WhatsApp and Messenger, as part of its broader initiative to crack down on online scams targeting older people. The company said it will start showing warnings in WhatsApp when users try to share their screen during a call, and it will flag potentially scam messages in Messenger, which can be sent to AI for review.
The tech giant said it detected and disrupted nearly 8 million accounts involved in scam operations during the first half of 2025, including those linked to scam hubs in regions such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines. It also took action against more than 21,000 Facebook pages and accounts that were pretending to be customer support operations and tricking people into sharing their information.
The latter is so prevalent on the platform that many page operators know to essentially ignore anything claiming to be a customer support message. Meanwhile, scam syndicates target older adults in multiple industries, including not only social media, but also messaging apps, dating apps, crypto, and others.
On WhatsApp, the company will now display a warning when you try to share your screen with an unknown contact during a video call. Meta says this technique is often used to trick victims into giving up sensitive information such as bank details and verification codes.
Meanwhile, on Messenger, the company is testing more advanced scam detection techniques to analyze whether an incoming message is suspicious. If so, it indicates that signs of a scam have been detected and warns you to “Be careful, you may be at risk of losing money.”
The screen also lists a variety of common scam techniques, such as work-from-home jobs or offers to make easy cash, and will suggest blocking or reporting the suspicious account.
My own family member has been a victim of these types of scams, and it’s fair to say that these problems can have broader implications beyond just affecting the person taking advantage. Often families have to get involved, causing the victim to embarrass themselves or make them think the scam is some kind of genuine opportunity.
techcrunch event
san francisco
,
October 27-29, 2025
Scammers often use social engineering techniques or romantic interest to lure victims who are not savvy online or who may be suffering from early dementia. They also often target people who are lonely and appreciate the attention. Scammers take advantage of these factors to drain senior citizens of their life savings.
Meta should have done more to address these concerns on its platform before now, especially given how simple it is to add warnings or alerts to the user experience in apps. Although it may not have access to more sophisticated AI technologies to review potential scams, informative alerts can also reduce some of the biggest abuses in the past.
The company responded that it had indeed added other reference cardreminder, and warnings About shipping scams and instant payments, as well as a whatsapp security centerit caution With safety notice about romance scams on Valentine’s Day. However, these were not specifically targeted at the elderly.
The tech giant says it’s also getting involved National Elder Fraud Coordination CenterA new nonprofit organization that brings law enforcement together with companies like AARP, Amazon, Capital One, Google, Microsoft and Walmart to combat fraud targeting older adults.
Updated with more information about previous meta warnings and actions.
