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On the programme on 1 May 2025, we reported on rise in scammers infiltrating WhatsApp groups to target individuals and try to take over their account, allowing them to contact the user’s friends and family asking for money.

The Rip Off Britain team contacted WhatsApp, which provided the following information on how to keep your account secure:

• helps users to learn how to identify suspicious messages. WhatsApp pointed out that when someone not in your contact book contacts you for the first time, a warning message will appear. It also said users can block numbers and report them to the platform.
• WhatsApp users can carry out a privacy check-up, as explained in which offers guidance on choosing the right level of protection for you. This includes how to make your chats more private and how to add two-step verification on your account.
• The platform also announced it was introducing ‘WhatsApp official chat’ to users in Europe and the UK. This is an optional, one-way chat from WhatsApp to the user, marked with a verified blue badge. It will provide advice on how users can add more layers of protection to their account and stay aware of scams. WhatsApp official chat began rolling out in April.