The developers of WhatsApp have introduced a new security feature that will help users identify potential scammers when someone not in their contact list invites them to a group chat.
The new feature displays a “Safety overview” warning, which includes information about the group’s creation date, the number of its participants, and potential scam attempts. Additionally, the messenger will offer users instructions on configuring group addition settings.
“The warning will contain key information about the group and safety tips. After that, the user will be able to leave the group without even entering the chat,” the company said in a statement. “If after viewing the safety notification the group seems familiar to you, you will be able to view the chat for more information.”
To help users protect themselves from scammers attempting to contact them directly, WhatsApp will also notify users when someone outside of their contacts list tries to message them, providing additional information about that person.
“We urge you to pause and verify before responding to a suspicious or unusual message, especially if it comes from an unknown number and promises quick money,” the developers add.
The company noted in a statement that in just the first six months of 2025, more than 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centers targeting WhatsApp users were disabled.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp developers collaborated with OpenAI representatives to dismantle a scam center in Cambodia that was involved in various types of fraud. Victims were offered cryptocurrency investments, promised payment for fake likes, and were even lured into a financial pyramid scheme related to scooter rentals.
In one case, scammers generated initial messages using ChatGPT. These messages contained a link to a WhatsApp chat, which redirected the victim to Telegram, where, for example, they were asked to like a video on TikTok.
“Such fraudulent centers usually conduct several scam campaigns simultaneously, ranging from cryptocurrency investments to Ponzi schemes. The scam may start with a simple text message, and then the victim is prompted to follow up on social media, messaging apps, and subsequently on payment or cryptocurrency platforms,” the company warned.
2025.02.09 — Abandoned AWS S3 buckets could be used in attacks targeting supply chains
watchTowr discovered plenty of abandoned Amazon S3 buckets that could be used by attackers to deliver malware and backdoors to government agencies and large corporations. The researchers discovered…
Full article →
2025.01.25 — 18,000 script kiddies have been infected with backdoor via XWorm RAT builder
According to CloudSEK analysts, malefactors attack novice hackers using a fake malware builder. Script kiddies' systems become infected with a backdoor that steals data and subsequently…
Full article →
2025.01.27 — Zyxel firewalls reboot due to flawed update
Zyxel warned its customers that a recent signature update may cause critical errors in USG FLEX and ATP series firewalls. As a result, devices go into…
Full article →
2025.01.23 — Fake Telegram CAPTCHA forces users to run malicious PowerShell scripts
Hackers used the news of Ross Ulbricht pardoning to lure users to a rogue Telegram channel where they are tricked into running malicious PowerShell code. This…
Full article →
2025.01.22 — Fake Homebrew Infects macOS and Linux Machines with infostealer
Attackers use Google ads to disguise themselves as the Homebrew website and distribute malware targeting Mac and Linux systems and stealing logon credentials, browser data, and cryptocurrency wallets.…
Full article →
2025.04.16 — Android devices will restart every three days to protect user data
Google introduces a new security feature for Android devices: locked and unused devices will be automatically restarted after three days of inactivity to return their memory to an…
Full article →
2025.04.08 — Website of Everest ransomware group hacked and defaced
Last weekend, the darknet website of the Everest ransomware group was hacked and went offline. The attackers replaced its content with a sarcastic message: "Don't do crime…
Full article →
2025.02.07 — 768 vulnerabilities were exploited by hackers in 2024
According to VulnCheck, 768 CVEs were registered as exploited in real-life attacks in 2024. This is 20% greater compared to 2023 when hackers exploited 639 vulnerabilities. Interestingly,…
Full article →
2025.02.17 — Dutch police seize 127 servers belonging to Zservers hosting provider
Following the introduction of international sanctions against Zservers, Russian 'bulletproof' hosting services provider, the Dutch National Police (Politie) shut down and seized 127 servers belonging to Zservers/XHost.…
Full article →
2025.02.10 — Failed attempt to block phishing link results in massive Cloudflare outage
According to the incident report released by Cloudflare, an attempt to block a phishing URL on the R2 platform accidentally caused a massive outage; as a result, many Cloudflare…
Full article →