Scammers are opportunistic and use holidays or world events to try to trick people. Ahead of Valentine's Day and as part of global anti-scam awareness campaign to protect people online, WhatsApp shares relevant safety tools.
These tools will be available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. It also includes new research into romance scams across the internet and updates on enforcements against such scammers masquerading as military personnel and others. Let's get a detailed insight.
Anti-Scam Tips Ahead of Valentine’s Day
Here are some tips on how to spot romance scams and stay safe:
On Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp rolled out Safety Notices to caution you when you’re chatting with someone whose account shows signals of suspicious activity, and who may be based in a different country.
WhatsApp is also testing similar nudges to teens on Instagram and will begin expanding them to more users in the coming months. In addition to this, on WhatsAppe you can silence calls from unknown callers to prevent unwanted contact, including from potential scammers.
The way ahead
Scammers constantly evolve their tactics to evade detection and rarely, if ever, target one single platform. They do so to ensure that any one company can only see a small piece of these scam campaigns. This makes collaboration with law enforcement and within industries, including the financial services industry, even more critical in our anti-scam efforts.
The Safer Internet India coalition is a crucial step in fostering cross-industry collaboration to protect Indians from emerging online threats and extends Meta’s goal of actively working with our peers to discuss the latest trends and strategies to prevent, detect and respond to criminal scammers.
Looking ahead, " This initiative will help multiply our collective anti-scam efforts, including driving user awareness and promoting safer digital practices while ensuring that innovation remains responsible and inclusive,” Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India, explained.