WhatsApp is rolling out a new security feature designed to combat a sophisticated screen-sharing scam that criminals use to steal sensitive personal and financial information during video calls.
The messaging platform will introduce a new warning that appears whenever a user attempts to share their screen during a video call with another person. This alert will explicitly state that all content displayed on the user’s phone will become visible to the other participant.
Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, identified screen sharing as an increasingly common method utilized by fraudsters to steal personal information and extort banking details from users. The new measure aims to make users aware of this risk.
While the application will alert users to the potential danger, it will not restrict the screen-sharing functionality. The decision to proceed with sharing will ultimately rest with each individual user.
The scam typically involves criminals creating fake business profiles, often impersonating banks, airlines, or car rental companies. They promise quick solutions to user problems or issues.
One of their initial requests is for the user to share their screen, ostensibly to “assist” them through a process or help resolve a problem rapidly.
However, the fraudsters’ true intention is to record the entire screen-sharing session. They instruct users to navigate to applications or sections of their phone where banking details or other personal information are displayed.
Criminals often ask users to log into a service, requiring a password. Even though passwords may appear as asterisks on screen, the scammers can deduce the entered characters by observing key presses.
WhatsApp also announced it would increase its vigilance against these types of fraudulent accounts, which are currently gathering thousands of pieces of personal data daily.