WhatsApp is rolling out a new warning screen on Android and iOS that appears before a user opens a chat with an unfamiliar phone number, in a bid to cut down on impersonation and phishing scams that run through the app.
The feature checks a phone number before a chat is opened. If WhatsApp does not find any signs that the number is already trusted, it displays a screen prompting the user to confirm whether they trust the sender. WABetaInfo, a feature tracker that first reported the rollout, disclosed the details of how the system works.
The warning screen displays the number’s country code, whether it is saved in the user’s contacts, and whether the two accounts share any group chats. It also includes a reminder that scammers often use social engineering to obtain financial details, banking passwords, or direct money transfers.
Users can choose to continue into the chat or back out before it opens. Either way, the sender is not notified of the recipient’s decision (there is no read receipt or alert tied to the choice).
WABetaInfo advised users to read the warning details rather than dismiss them quickly, noting that a mismatched country code is reason enough to pause and verify the sender’s identity before replying.
The outlet also flagged limits to the system. A scammer already saved as a contact will not trigger the warning at all, and an unfamiliar number is not automatically proof of fraud, it could simply belong to a contact using a new phone number.
WhatsApp remains a frequent target for scammers because of its large user base and reliance on phone numbers rather than usernames, according to security firm Bitdefender. Common schemes on the platform include impersonation, fake job offers, cryptocurrency fraud, and phishing campaigns.
The update is rolling out globally and simultaneously across both iOS and Android.
