In response to the growing threat of sophisticated online fraud, the tech company Meta has announced a major initiative to protect its users from scammers.
According to Meta, WhatsApp will now display a prominent warning message if a user attempts to share their screen during a video call with an unknown contact. A similar feature is also being introduced to flag suspicious chats on Facebook Messenger.
This move directly targets a common tactic used by fraudsters who impersonate customer service representatives from banks, airlines, or other legitimate companies.
These scammers often monitor a brand’s official comment sections to find users reporting problems. They then contact the vulnerable user, posing as the official “help desk.” Their method involves convincing the victim to screen-share, often under the pretext of “logging them in” to a service. This allows the scammer to steal sensitive information, usernames, and even capture verification codes needed to reset passwords and take over the account.
Meta stated that these new, regular warnings are designed to remind people never to share their screen with someone they do not know or trust.
