WhatsApp Steps Up Fight Against Account Impersonation

Meta-owned WhatsApp is tightening anti-impersonation safeguards as it rolls out usernames, aiming to let users connect without sharing phone numbers while preventing scam and account hijacking risks. The company says only legitimate owners will be able to claim high-profile names, and it is adding controls such as limiting how many new contacts an account can reach, blocking repeated username-guessing attempts, and detecting impersonation patterns. The rollout is notable because WhatsApp has more than 600 million users in India, where government scrutiny could slow or complicate the global launch. The move comes amid broader concern over social-media-driven fraud, with the FTC saying nearly 30% of people who lost money in scams last year said the scam started on social media. The article is more about product security and regulatory risk than direct financial performance, but it highlights ongoing fraud pressures on Meta’s messaging ecosystem.