Meta, cops deploy AI and handcuffs in scam crackdown

"For example, they may urge you to share your phone number, followed by a device linking code on your WhatsApp or try to trick you into scanning a QR code under false pretenses, which would then link the scammer's device to your account. Access to a user's WhatsApp account allows miscreants to read victims' messages, reply to them - and start new chats - while posing as the legitimate user, view contacts and photos, and in some cases, compromise other services such as Facebook or Instagram."

"Facebook is also testing an alert system that warns users when a friend request shows signs of suspicious activity - for example, you don't have any mutual friends, they just joined the platform days before sending a friend request, or their posts indicate a different country location than their profile info."

"Not every scam starts with malware or a compromised account. Sometimes all it takes is a friend request or a link shared via chat. Meta, in an effort to protect people from fraudsters, added anti-scam tools to WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger, including device linking warnings on WhatsApp and alerts for suspicious friend requests on Facebook."

Meta implemented comprehensive anti-scam measures across its platforms to combat fraud. WhatsApp now alerts users when behavioral signals indicate suspicious device-linking attempts, protecting accounts from unauthorized access. Facebook tests alerts for suspicious friend requests showing signs like no mutual connections or recent account creation. Messenger expands scam detection to identify patterns such as celebrity impersonation and spoofed links. Simultaneously, Meta collaborated with international law enforcement to disrupt major scam centers globally, resulting in 21 arrests and the disabling of over 150,000 accounts linked to scam networks. These efforts target common fraud tactics that exploit social engineering rather than technical vulnerabilities.

Read at Theregister