WhatsApp and Messenger Add New Warnings to Help Older People Avoid Online Scams

Why It Matters

The changes signal heightened regulatory and reputational pressure on platforms to take more proactive steps against financial abuse of vulnerable users.

Summary

Meta rolled out new scam‑detection warnings in WhatsApp and Messenger aimed at protecting older users, including alerts when unknown contacts request screen sharing and AI‑backed flags for suspicious Messenger messages. The company says it disrupted about 8 million scam accounts in H1 2025 and removed more than 21,000 Pages and accounts impersonating customer support. Meta is also joining the National Elder Fraud Coordination Center as part of broader industry efforts to curb scams that drain seniors’ savings and exploit social‑engineering tactics. The changes signal heightened regulatory and reputational pressure on platforms to take more proactive steps against financial abuse of vulnerable users.