Meta adds AI-driven security warning to WhatsApp to curb phishing attacks

Meta has rolled out a new proactive security warning in the WhatsApp beta for Android and iOS. The feature automatically scans the caller’s phone number at registration, displays the number’s origin and offers users a choice to continue the chat or abort, blocking the conversation before any messages are exchanged. It is designed to stop scams that rely on fake account link‑ups to hijack users’ messenger accounts.

Separately, AI‑generated phishing now accounts for 86 % of all phishing attempts worldwide, with click‑through rates around 54 %. Criminals have used these techniques to target high‑profile accounts, including those of parliamentarians, and to launch large‑scale campaigns that cause billions of euros in losses for the German economy. Regulators are responding with tighter rules such as the EU’s NIS‑2 directive, which imposes heavy fines on firms that fail to protect against such threats.