In the future, Facebook Messenger will be able to recognize suspicious messages and warn users about possible fraud attempts.
Facebook Messenger will now warn users of possible fraud attempts when they receive a message from strangers. The function also recognizes messages in which the user claims to be a Facebook friend. Content in which money is requested or rewards are offered should also be recognized. Engadget:
The social network is launching a new feature for Messenger that will cause an in-app pop-up to appear when a person is messaged by someone trying to scam them or otherwise send "potentially harmful" messages.
The app looks for potentially suspicious messages from strangers, […] and warns users to “beware of requests for money” if they receive a message from someone they are not already friends with.
A specially highlighted message in the form of a warning should appear. It goes on to say:
The app also looks for messages that come from accounts that may be trying to impersonate Facebook friends. When Facebook Messenger detects such a case, the system warns users that the person they are messaging is pretending to be someone they know.
More protection for minors
In addition, minors should generally receive a warning if they are contacted by adults who cannot be assigned to their circle of friends. It states:
For minors, Facebook will display a warning when they receive a message from an adult they don't know. The warning "alerts people under 18 to be cautious when interacting with an adult they may not know and empowers them to take action before responding to a message," the company said.
Although messages in Facebook Messenger are encrypted, they do not use end-to-end encryption - with the exception of secret conversations. This means that Facebook has the ability to scan such content. (Photo by bigtunaonline / Bigstockphoto)
