Meta rolls out stronger anti-scam tools for Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp

Meta is rolling out new AI-powered scam detection across Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. The tools will alert users to potentially suspicious activity and automatically flag potential scams. In a blog post detailing the new tools, Meta said that in 2025 alone it removed more than 159 million scam ads and took down almost 11 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram associated with criminal scam centers.

Criminals are evolving, and Meta says AI can "analyze multiple signals -- such as text, images, and the surrounding context" to spot a wider range of sophisticated scam patterns alongside traditional detection systems and human experts. The new protections target several common tactics.

AI will analyze fake fan profiles and misleading bios to catch celebrity or brand impersonation, detect content that redirects people to fake webpages and remove misleading links, and warn users about suspicious friend requests by showing signals such as few mutual friends, a different country or when an account was created.

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