LAGOS — WhatsApp has rolled out a new suite of security features designed to protect users from account takeovers, impersonation, and financial scams, as fraudsters increasingly target messaging platforms to exploit individuals .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the update includes strengthened two-step verification, the ability to add multiple passkeys to a single account, and improved caller information for Android users. A separate “Scam Alert” feature, currently in limited beta, uses an on-device AI model to flag suspicious messages .
Stronger Defenses Against Account Theft
The app has upgraded its two-step verification system. Previously a six-digit PIN, users can now create a longer, alphanumeric password with special characters to better protect their account, even if a scammer manages to obtain their one-time passcode . The company has urged those using weak PINs like “123456” to take the opportunity to upgrade their account security .
WhatsApp also announced that more than one billion people now use passkeys, a form of authentication that works with a device’s fingerprint, facial recognition, or screen-lock code . To reduce the risk of phishing, the app now allows users to register passkeys across both iOS and Android devices, a helpful feature for those who use multiple platforms .
New Tools to Detect Scam Messages
The new “Scam Alert” feature, currently in beta testing, is an optional tool that runs a machine learning model on a user’s device to detect messages that match known scam patterns from non-contacts, such as urgent requests for money or personal information . All analysis takes place on the device, meaning WhatsApp, Meta, or any other entity do not receive any message content without user consent .
When a potential scam is detected, the user receives a warning inside the chat. They can then choose to block the sender, report the conversation, ignore the warning, or trust the sender, which stops future alerts for that chat .
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