Whatsapp

WhatsApp says it has banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to global scam operations as part of a major crackdown on criminal messaging networks. In a statement on Monday, the Meta-owned platform said the accounts detected and removed in the first half of 2025 were linked to scam centres that deploy tactics such as deepfakes, cloned voices, and cross-platform fraud. Kojo Boakye, Meta’s vice-president of public policy for Africa, Middle East and Türkiye, said the new wave of enforcement is part of broader efforts to disrupt coordinated scams before they spread. “This is part of our unwavering commitment to protect our users, not just by banning malicious accounts, but by empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to recognise and avoid these sophisticated threats,” he said. The platform also announced new in-app features to help users better identify suspicious contacts and avoid falling victim to fraud. One of the updates allows people to see more context before engaging with unknown senders, especially when added to group chats by people outside their contact list. WhatsApp is also working to encourage users to “pause, question, and verify” before responding to messages that appear unusual or demand urgent action, such as

Wed, Aug 6, 2025, 1:07 AM 2 min read In This Article: This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Meta has announced some new measures to protect WhatsApp users from scam activity, including improved insight into group requests, and updated alerts for individual chat requests. First off, on group messaging. WhatsApp’s rolling out a new safety overview that will be displayed when someone who’s not in your contacts adds you to a new WhatsApp group. As you can see in this example, you’ll now get an overview of the group’s info before you join, which will also include tips on how to avoid scam activity. As per WhatsApp: “From there, you can exit the group without ever having to look at the chat. And if you think you might recognize the group after seeing the safety overview, you can choose to see the chat for more context. Regardless, notifications from the group will be silenced until you mark that you want to stay.” The up-front alerts about potential scams could be a significant deterrent, prompting more people to think twice before joining such.

A woman and her contracted grandma – credit, Client Partners When a Japanese handyman contractor faced an oversaturated market, they turned to a pretty unusual solution: a ‘rent-a-grandma.’ With few other jobs available for women over 60 other than house cleaners, the company realized that for the same reason a person might want to hire a male handyman in his 60s during a homebuilding project, someone might want to hire a grandmother for a homemaking project. Tokyo’s Client Partners started the OK! Obaachan (OK! Grandmother) service in 2011, and it’s become a hit. “I never get bored,” 69-year old Taeko Kaji, one of the rent-a-grandmas, told the Australian ABC. “I get to go out and have these experiences and that’s why taking this job was the right decision for me.” Client Partners allows customers to hire the services of guides and interpreters, but concern in Japanese society over run-of-the-mill, big city loneliness gave the company the idea to start renting friends, ‘aunts,’ and now even grandmothers. “Some people may never have had a mother in the first place,” Client Partners chief executive Ms. Ruri Kanazawa told the ABC. “Our grandmother staff members, who cook for the guests and act like a

Photo by Amanz / Unsplash If you’re active on WhatsApp, you’ve probably noticed how fast your phone's gallery can fill up. From random memes in group chats to videos you didn’t ask for, media from WhatsApp tends to sneak into your camera roll without warning. This can quickly turn your gallery into a mess and eat up storage space that could be better used elsewhere. I remember scrolling through my photos app only to find hundreds of images I didn’t even remember receiving. It was frustrating, especially when I was trying to find something important I had actually saved. The good news is: WhatsApp gives you full control over how media is handled. You can stop it from saving automatically to your device, keep your photos and videos inside the app, and download only what matters to you. How to delete your WhatsApp account Ready to quit WhatsApp for good? Here’s how to delete your account. Techloy Oyinebiladou Omemu Step 1: Open the WhatsApp app and click the Settings icon in the bottom-right corner Step 2: Click "Chats" Step 3: Toggle off the Save to Photos option Step 1: Open WhatsApp, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and

Sixth Egyptian aid convoy enters Gaza through Karm Abu Salem Crossing. Photo credit: Retrieved from Al-Qahera News coverage. Egypt’s sixth and largest humanitarian aid convoy entered Gaza on Sunday, 3 August, including two fuel trucks carrying 107 tonnes of diesel — vital for restarting operations at Gaza’s hospitals and bakeries — in light of the intensifying humanitarian crisis that has brought on acute malnutrition and starvation in the enclave, Ahram Online reports. The convoy, which also includes dozens of trucks filled with food staples such as flour, sugar, ghee, lentils, fava beans, cooking oil, and infant formula, made the journey from Egypt’s Rafah crossing to the Israeli-inspected Karm Abu Salem crossing before heading into Gaza. This most recent delivery, organized by the Egyptian Red Crescent, is part of a recent escalation in Egyptian aid contribution following months of near-complete Israeli blockade and comes in the wake of additional airlifts of food by Egyptian military aircraft to areas otherwise unreachable overland. This comes in light of the Israeli military announcing new “humanitarian corridors” and “pauses” aimed at allowing aid convoys into the area. However, no specific locations for the pause were identified in the statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

A day after being sentenced to life imprisonment in a rape case, suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna was assigned a prisoner number at Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central prison, jail authorities said on Sunday. Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda, spent his first night in jail following Saturday's court verdict that found him guilty. He was reportedly in tears and appeared visibly distressed. Prison doctors assessed his health late on Saturday night to ensure his medical condition was stable. “He broke down during the medical check-up and expressed his anguish to the staff,” a senior official said. Prajwal has reportedly informed the staff that he has approached the High Court challenging the conviction. The former MP is currently lodged in a high-security cell and is being provided enhanced security. According to prison officials, the standard dress code for convicts is being followed, and he will be required to wear the uniform given to prisoners. Prisoner number 15528 was officially allotted to him on Sunday morning, they added. Prajwal was on Saturday sentenced to prison term for the remainder of his life, while the court slapped an overall fine of Rs 11.50 lakh on

Friendship Day is a global celebration of long-lasting friendships and is celebrated on the first Sunday in August. Friends stand by us through thick and thin and become like family with their constant support. Friendship Day is all about celebrating the friends in our lives who bring support, laughter, and loyalty. On Friendship Day, friends exchange wishes to show their gratitude for being a constant source of support and companionship. Whether it’s a school friend, college buddy, or someone you met on an impromptu trip, make their day brighter with a heartfelt Friendship Day wish. On the first Sunday in August, the US celebrates National Friendship Day to encourages people across the world to connect with friends. Best wishes For Friendship Day 2025: 100+ Instagram quotes Happy Friendship Day to my ride or die Friends like you make life golden Can’t imagine life without your madness To my human diary — Happy Friendship Day Thanks for always showing up Here's to laughing until it hurts You + Me = Chaos & Comfort Friendship isn’t one big thing — it’s a million little things You're my favorite notification Real friends are never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart. Your

Mark your calendars, and bring out your friendship bracelets (or make some). Taylor Swift might have concluded The Eras Tour, but Friendship Day is here! Although globally, it's recognized on July 30 as the International Day of Friendship, many countries celebrate it on the first Sunday in August, which this year falls on August 3. And why not a celebration? Friends are our most reliable fail-safe cushion. They jump at our tiniest achievement, turn into professional cheerleaders whenever we make a breakthrough from being stuck, and in general, are our go-to wing-people! They also are the ones who hold us (and tissue boxes) after bad job interviews, worse breakups, and even after the nastiest fallouts in our *dreamy* situationships! So, it’s only normal that we celebrate those anchors who hold us at our best, as well ugliest! Whether you’re planning a surprise for your forever crew or simply want to send a heartfelt message, there’s no better time to express gratitude for the people who lift us up. From sweet, funny, or inspiring notes to vibrant images and social media statuses, here’s your ultimate guide to celebrating friendship in 2025. When and why we celebrate Global date: Observed annually on

Scouting is a time consuming, difficult process that involves many different factors, needs many different approaches and requires the best of communication. It also should not lead to scouting lists being posted on WhatsApp. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to one unnamed Bayern Munich scout. German daily newspaper Tageszeitung caught this gaff and published an article on the topic: The scout shared a list of youth players who are apparently in line for the German record champions last Thursday at noon. He mistakenly posted it in his WhatsApp status, which is usually visible to all his mobile phone contacts for 24 hours... “Please prioritize these 2011 players in your scouting for the upcoming season according to your region. We need initial impressions by September 15th. Thank you!” is written on the list, which includes a total of 15 names (available to tz). It includes Lukas Dillschneider of Saarbrücken, Kemi Seudi of VfB Stuttgart, Sam Haritz and Lino Nikisch of Schalke, Nikita Drozd, Edgar Idada and Dennis Yakavenka of Nuremberg, and Denton Snoh of Mainz. That is certainly quite embarrassing for the Bavarians. It seems to be more of an inadvertent slipup than an organizational issue, however, and it remains

Returning to America was a stated aim of WRC Promoter for next year, so the absence of the Stars and the Stripes alongside a 2026 calendar date raised a question in the service park. Roads in Tennessee and Kentucky are expected to feature on a potential Rally USA route, which will be tested next month. In explaining the event’s 2026 absence, a WRC Promoter spokesperson told DirtFish that America remained very much in its plans. “We have always had the objective for an important market like the USA that we have to get it right the first time,” said the spokesperson. “With much work needing to be done to build the event from the ground up, we are being necessarily cautious towards the debut year. “A planned candidate event in September will provide the best possible proof of concept as well as a training opportunity for all of the US rallying organizational community to learn about the standards of a modern WRC event, and this will provide an ideal evaluation platform. “This is something we’re working on with the FIA, ACCUS and ARA hand-in-hand.” ARA competition director Preston Osborn added: “Our mission at the American Rally Association is to preserve