WhatsApp is frequently used by fraudsters to target users, prompting the platform to introduce additional safeguards against suspicious communications.
The feature, reportedly first spotted in June 2026, has now appeared in a new beta version of WhatsApp for Android devices. Known as Scam Alert, the feature is designed to provide users with an additional warning when they receive a message from an unknown contact that may pose a potential risk.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the warning will appear directly within the chat, allowing users to assess the situation before deciding how to respond. Users will have the option to block and report the sender or continue interacting with the conversation if they consider it trustworthy.
The feature is not designed to automatically intervene during an attempted scam. Instead, it provides users with information about potential risks and allows them to make their own decision about how to proceed.
The primary purpose of the feature is to alert users at an early stage when a message may be associated with fraudulent activity. The option will reportedly be disabled by default, meaning users will have to enable it manually through WhatsApp settings on compatible Android devices.
Meta previously explained in a blog post that the optional feature uses an on-device machine learning model to identify potential scam messages. This means the analysis is performed directly on the user’s smartphone rather than sending the message content to the company’s servers.
According to Meta, this approach is intended to ensure that users’ messages continue to benefit from end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp also uses similar on-device technology for features such as voice message transcription.
The Scam Alert feature is currently available in beta testing, and WhatsApp has not yet confirmed when it will be rolled out to all users.
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