Scammers always find new ways to lure innocent people and steal their money. Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, "Romance Scams" are expected to be on the rise. To combat this, Meta has highlighted the various measures it has implemented across its platforms to keep users safe and avoid getting scammed in the name of love.
Meta describes "Romance Scams" as "a common scheme in which scammers target people in a variety of ways – malicious texts or emails, dating apps, social media posts, discussion forums and more – under romantic pretenses." Scammers set up profiles with fake images of attractive individuals and assume false identities, often posing as military officers, celebrities, or business professionals.
These scammers invite people to engage in conversation through WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or Facebook Messenger, often using Nigerian phone numbers, and ask for a wire transfer or an online gift. Some even operate fake matchmaking services, promising to introduce people to wealthy partners in exchange for a fee. Once the money is sent, the scammers disappear.
To mitigate this, Meta is taking action across Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta has said that they have removed hundreds of thousands of fake accounts linked to scams. New tools are also put in place to warn users if the conversation seems suspicious. Facebook Messenger now alerts users if someone messaging them appears to be a scammer. WhatsApp has the option to block calls from unknown numbers, and Instagram also tests similar safety features.
Meta has also announced that they have begun testing facial recognition technology that will be used to detect fake profiles pretending to be celebrities or military officers. The technology will "compare the profile pictures on the suspicious account against a public figure’s Facebook and Instagram profile pictures. If there’s a match, we’ll take the account down," Meta explains.
Since scamming methods are constantly evolving, Meta and other companies are working together with law enforcement and financial institutions to stop them. The company also announced that under the "Tech Against Scams Coalition" coalition, they are working with crypto and dating apps to bring together experts to formulate the latest strategies and trends to detect and prevent criminal scammers.
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