Meta has made it difficult to scam older users. Here’s how

October 29, 2025Last Updated: October 29, 2025

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Meta has made it difficult to scam older users. Here’s how

By Hunter Schwarz | Published: 2025-10-24 10:30:00 | Source: Fast Company – co-design

Meta is improving its apps for baby boomers. This week, the company announced new user experience features designed to deter scammers and make Meta Apps safer for seniors.

Scammers today use all kinds of tricks to keep people out of their money, such as asking for personal information under a guise Fake government benefitsInsolently Pretending to be customer service supportAnd chat with unwitting people in the comments section of a real company’s social media page to lure them to another page.

Meta has made it difficult to scam older users Heres — (Image: Meta)

New features for older users

Meta says its new in-app warnings are intended to combat this type of behavior, and will be triggered by suspicious activity.

On the WhatsApp chat app, users who try to share their screen with an unknown contact during a video call will receive a warning stating “Only share your screen with people you trust.” The pop-up notes that sharing your screen allows those you share it with to “see anything you display on your screen, including sensitive details like your banking information.”

On Messenger, Meta says it’s testing more advanced fraud detection in chats. The company says that when fraud detection is enabled, suspicious chats will trigger a warning asking users to request an AI review, which will explain why the message was flagged, as well as provide tips for staying safe online. The feature can be toggled or turned on by going to Privacy and security settings Eavesdropping detects fraud.

1761741450 973 Meta has made it difficult to scam older users Heres — (Image: Meta)

An example of an AI review shared by Meta of a flagged suspicious message flagged “common signs of a scam” like job offers promising quick money or the ability to work from home for a job that can’t be done remotely. The AI review goes on to suggest that the message recipient should ignore job offers that sound too good to be true and never agree to send gift cards, wire transfers, or other forms of payment to a stranger. This includes famous strangers.

Fraud is on the rise

Scammers have faked photos of public figures such as Taylor Swift To make it seem like the pop star is promoting cookware set gifts, and the actors are loving it Helen Mirren and Jamie Lee Curtis In recent months, she has warned fans about scammers using their photos on Instagram.

Meta, which this month was hit with a class action lawsuit It claims to profit from impersonation scam adsannounced that it is investing in cracking down on celebrity scams in European Union, United Kingdom and South Korea Using facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence.

1761741450 113 Meta has made it difficult to scam older users Heres — (Image: Meta)

Online fraud is a real problem for Meta and other companies. Since the beginning of the year, Meta says it has disabled nearly 8 million Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to criminal scam hubs, and these and other scams have proven costly for victims.

According to the FBI Internet crimes reportIn 2024, people 60 and older lost a total of $4.8 billion to fraud, more than any other group, and that’s up from more than $3 billion in 2023.

Best practices for designing digital products for seniors often require features like larger fonts and intuitive design, but they also mean making them safe from scammers and scammers targeting older individuals.

While Meta is trying to boost online safety for young people by launching teen accounts with tight parental controls, it’s clear that the company also has work to do for its users at the other end of the age spectrum.

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Hunter Schwartz is Fast companyÂ A contributor covering the intersection of design, advertising, branding, business, civics, fashion, typefaces, packaging, politics, sports, and technology.. Hunter is the author of Â yellowa newsletter about political persuasionÂ More

(tags for translation) app design

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