WhatsApp and Messenger are adding new warnings to help seniors avoid online scams

Meta on Tuesday introduced new scam detection features for its messaging apps, WhatsApp and Messenger, as part of its broader initiative to crack down on online scams targeting seniors. The company said it will start displaying warnings in WhatsApp when users try to share their screen during calls, and will flag potential fraudulent messages in Messenger, which can be sent to artificial intelligence for review.

The tech giant said it detected and disabled about 8 million accounts involved in scams during the first half of 2025, including those linked to fraud hubs in regions such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. It also took action on more than 21,000 Facebook pages and accounts that were posing as customer support operations and that were trying to trick people into sharing their information.

The latter is so prevalent on the platform that many page operators basically know to ignore anything claiming to be a customer support message. Meanwhile, scam gangs are targeting seniors in a number of industries, including not just social media, but also messaging apps, dating apps, cryptocurrencies, and more.

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 providing sensitive information such as banking details and verification codes.

Meanwhile, on Messenger, the company is testing more advanced fraud detection techniques to analyze whether an incoming message is suspicious. If so, it indicates signs of a scam 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 those involving work-from-home jobs or offers to make easy money, and will suggest either blocking or reporting the suspicious account.

Someone in my family has been a victim of these types of scams, and it’s fair to say that these issues can have broader impacts beyond those affecting the individual being exploited. Families often have to intervene, which embarrasses the victim or sees them stand their ground, believing the scam to be a real opportunity of some kind.

Scammers often use social engineering or romantic interest techniques to attract victims who are not internet savvy or who may be suffering from early onset dementia. They also often target people who feel lonely and appreciate attention. Scammers exploit these factors to fleece seniors out of their savings.

Meta should have done more to address these concerns on its platforms before now, especially given how easy it is to add a warning or alert to the user experience in apps. Although they may not have access to the most sophisticated AI techniques to review potential fraud, even informational alerts could have mitigated some past violations.

The tech giant says it is also joining the National Senior Fraud Coordination Center, a new nonprofit that brings together law enforcement with companies like AARP, Amazon, Capital One, Google, Microsoft and Walmart to combat fraud targeting seniors.