Introduction to WhatsApp’s New Warning
WhatsApp users are being asked not to ignore a new warning to help them avoid fraud. The global cybercrime has recently increased, with 73 percent of adults in the United States reporting that they had experienced an online attack.
New Function to Protect Users
WhatsApp has added an additional function to protect users from group chat scams that could empty their bank accounts. This new function affects anyone who uses the service and is invited to a group chat. If someone you may not know invites you to a group chat, the app shows a new "security overview" that will appear before you can even see the messages.
Security Overview
The overview contains information about the group, including who created it, who invited you, and how many members it has. There will also be a warning to pay attention to fraud, as well as information about how you can restrict who can invite you to group chats on WhatsApp. As soon as you have displayed this page, you can end the group without looking at the chat or look at the chat to get more information.
Context Cards
The function builds on the "context card", which WhatsApp introduced last year, which shows important information about a group. While context cards appear for all groups to which you are invited, the new safety overviews of WhatsApp are displayed as a "interstitial" page if someone you may not recognize sends an invitation.
Combating Fraud
These overviews are part of WhatsApp’s broader initiative to combat fraud, which have become increasingly common. In a recently carried out survey, 73 percent of adults in the United States explained that they had experienced fraud or attack. WhatsApp has also worked with other companies to defeat a criminal fraud center in Cambodia, in which Chatgpt created text messages that promised work for people who joined a WhatsApp chat group.
Types of Fraud
The bad actors then showed people fake reports on how much money they had "earned" and later asked them to submit money to a cryptocurrency account as another "task". Other forms of fraud included a rental scooter pyramid program and attempts to get people to invest in crypto.
New Measures to Combat Fraud
Together with the new function for group chats, WhatsApp is also testing ways to combat fraud in which bad actors contact users on other platforms before asking to transfer their conversation to WhatsApp. It is trying new ways to inform people about the "break" before you start a chat with someone who is not in your contacts, and will show more context about who is messaging you.
What to Do if Your Account is Hacked
If you are made to share your SMS verification code and lose access to your WhatsApp account, you can restore your account by following certain instructions. If you suspect that someone else is using your WhatsApp account, you should notify family and friends because this person could spam them in chats and groups. To get your stolen WhatsApp account, register with your phone number at the app and check it via SMS. As soon as you have registered, log out the hacker automatically.
