- The signs of a scam message, from WhatsApp's Help Center
- The four common scams WhatsApp describes
- What WhatsApp shows you when a stranger messages
- The four steps to take, in WhatsApp's own order
- When the scam comes from someone you know
- Links, files and forwarded messages
- Settings that cut down scam contact
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
WhatsApp scams usually arrive as a message from a number you haven't saved, pretending to be a friend, a recruiter, an investor or someone looking for love. WhatsApp's own advice is four steps: pause and think, stop the conversation, block and report the sender, then tighten your privacy and security settings. Never share a code, a password or your bank details with someone you can't verify.
Here's the fact that catches out a lot of people. WhatsApp is free, and WhatsApp says that if anyone asks you to pay to use it, or offers to unban your account for a fee, they're after your financial or personal information. So if a message says you owe a fee to keep using WhatsApp, or to get a banned account back, you can stop reading there.
The signs of a scam message, from WhatsApp's Help Center
WhatsApp lists eight clues that a message, or the person sending it, can't be trusted:
- Typos or grammatical mistakes.
- A request to tap a link, turn on a new feature through a link, or download an app.
- A request for personal information such as card or bank account numbers, your birth date or passwords.
- A request to forward the message.
- A request for funds, or a claim that you have to pay to use WhatsApp.
- Someone pretending to be a person you know.
- A message about the lottery, gambling, a job, an investment or a loan.
- Someone who chats for a while to win your trust before asking for personal information.
The four common scams WhatsApp describes
| Scam | How it plays out | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Romance or relationship | Builds an emotional connection, then asks for funds or a loan. Plans to meet get cancelled at the last minute | Don't send anything to someone you haven't met |
| Employment | A fake recruiter from a well-known company, often offering well-paid or work-from-home roles, asks for personal details or a payment to apply | Never pay to apply for a job offered in a chat |
| Investment | Promises low risk and high returns, usually in crypto, stocks, bonds, commodities or property | Treat any guaranteed high return as a scam |
| Impersonation | Pretends to be a friend, a family member, a celebrity or a well-known business | Confirm on a voice or video call before you act |
WhatsApp adds that a scammer might message you, call you or add you to a group, so a scam doesn't always start as a one-to-one chat.
What WhatsApp shows you when a stranger messages
When someone who isn't saved in your contacts messages you for the first time, WhatsApp shows extra context in the chat: whether you have any groups in common, and which country their phone number is registered in. From there you can reply, add them as a contact, block them or report them.
It works the other way too. When you message someone who isn't in your contacts and may be a stranger, WhatsApp can show the same details so you can decide whether to carry on or cancel the chat. A message from a number in a country you've never had contact with, with no groups in common, deserves a second look.
The four steps to take, in WhatsApp's own order
- Pause and think. Is it an unknown number? Are they rushing you, threatening you or asking you to trust them? Are they asking for a transfer, a password, a PIN or personal details?
- Stop the conversation. Hang up or stop replying. If you can't verify who they are, don't share anything personal or financial.
- Block and report. Blocking stops them contacting you, and reporting sends the account to WhatsApp.
- Update your privacy and security settings. Control who can see your details and contact you, and turn on two-step verification.
Step four is the one most people skip. WhatsApp names two-step verification in its own scam advice because it puts one more barrier between a scammer and your account. My guide to turning on WhatsApp two-step verification walks through it.
When the scam comes from someone you know
WhatsApp says that if a suspicious message arrives from a contact you know, their account could have been compromised. The classic version is a friend or relative asking for urgent help with a payment. WhatsApp's advice is to ask personal questions only the real person would know, or to confirm on a voice or video call before you do anything.
Links, files and forwarded messages
WhatsApp's best practices are short and worth following to the letter:
- If a message looks suspicious or sounds too good to be true, don't tap it, share it or forward it.
- If you're not sure something is true, or don't know who wrote it, don't forward it.
- Look closely at any link or file before you open it. They can look legitimate and still be malicious.
- You can report the message, block the sender and delete the message.
Settings that cut down scam contact
WhatsApp's safety page points to a few built-in tools. Silence unknown callers screens out spam and unknown numbers from ringing you, and my explainer on WhatsApp silence unknown callers shows where to find it. Chat lock hides your most private chats behind a password, and disappearing messages lets you control how long messages stick around. None of these replaces common sense, but together they shrink the number of ways a stranger can reach you.
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My advice
Make one rule and keep it: nobody gets a code, a password or a payment from you over WhatsApp unless you've confirmed who they are on a call. Almost every scam in WhatsApp's own list falls apart at that point. Then spend two minutes turning on two-step verification and silence unknown callers. It's the cheapest protection you'll ever add.
Scam messages often spread by forwarding, and our guide to forwarding a message on WhatsApp shows how that works.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a WhatsApp message is a scam?
WhatsApp lists typos, requests to tap links or download apps, requests for personal or bank details, requests to forward, requests for funds, impersonation, and messages about lotteries, jobs, investments or loans as signs of a scam.
Is WhatsApp free to use?
Yes. WhatsApp is free. WhatsApp says anyone asking you to pay to use it, or offering to unban your account for a fee, is likely after your financial or personal information.
What should I do if I get a scam message on WhatsApp?
Stop replying, don't share anything, then block and report the sender. WhatsApp also recommends updating your privacy settings and turning on two-step verification.
Why does WhatsApp show the country of an unknown number?
When someone not in your contacts messages you for the first time, WhatsApp shows the country their number is registered in and any groups you share, so you can decide whether to reply, block or report.
What if a scam message comes from a friend's number?
Their account could be compromised. Ask a question only they would know, or call them on voice or video before you act on anything they ask.
