WhatsApp's Scam Alert Flags Fraud Messages On-Device Without Breaking Encryption

WhatsApp launched Scam Alert in limited beta on August 12, 2026. The feature runs an on-device ML model that flags suspected scam messages directly in chats, without sending message content to Meta servers. Flagged recipients can block, report, or dismiss warnings. All detection happens at the endpoint, preserving WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption.