“Think before you share your screen.” That’s the new message from WhatsApp as it rolls out an AI-powered safety feature to protect users from scams during video calls. It’s a small pop-up, but one that could save people from big financial losses. The new warning feature Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is introducing a new alert that appears when users try to share their screen during a video call with someone not saved in their contacts.
The warning advises people to share screens only with trusted contacts, reminding them that scammers often use this trick to steal personal or banking details. This move targets a growing scam trend in which fraudsters impersonate bank representatives or customer support agents. They convince victims to share their screens “just for verification”, but once the screen is visible, sensitive details like OTPs, passwords, and bank info can easily be captured. Why it’s a big deal Screen-sharing scams have become increasingly common. Many victims don’t realise they’re being tricked until it’s too late.
By adding real-time warnings, WhatsApp wants users to pause and think before hitting that “Share Screen” button.
A brief reminder at the right time can stop people from revealing crucial personal information and potentially save them from major financial fraud. AI to the rescue But WhatsApp’s safety update doesn’t stop there. Meta is also testing AI-based scam detection tools on Messenger. These tools automatically analyse messages from new or suspicious contacts. If something looks fishy, the app will send a warning message and offer to review the chat using AI.
Once analysed, users will get alerts like: This conversation looks like a scam. Consider blocking or reporting this account. It’s part of Meta’s broader plan to make AI a shield against online scams across all its apps. Stronger security everywhere Meta has also launched several new safety tools: These updates are designed to give users more control and reduce the chances of being targeted by scammers. Cracking down on scam networks Meta says scam networks are growing fast and often operate across countries. Recently, the company removed over 8 million fake accounts linked to scam operations in places like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, the UAE, and the Philippines.
It also took down more than 21,000 Pages and accounts pretending to be customer service representatives. As scams get smarter, even a simple pause before sharing your screen could protect your privacy, data, and money. Meta hopes these tools will make chatting and video calling a little safer.
