WhatsApp

A fraudster used a WhatsApp voice message and an AI-cloned voice on a phone call to convince Fideuram, the asset management arm of Intesa Sanpaolo, to transfer 95 million euros. The scam is described as a new form of business email compromise, where deepfake audio lets attackers impersonate executives with convincing accuracy. The case is drawing attention to how easily AI voice cloning can defeat verification procedures at even major financial institutions.

The Guardian reports that Amazon's Ring is positioning its neighbourhood-focused features as a replacement for local WhatsApp groups, and argues this would encourage excessive neighbourhood surveillance and suspicion. The piece warns the shift could turn community chat into a platform for nosy reporting on neighbours, dubbed a 'curtain-twitching disaster', raising concerns about privacy and the privatisation of local communication networks.

Security researchers have identified 101 malicious packages on the npm registry that secretly add developers' WhatsApp accounts to groups without their consent. The campaign targets software developers who install compromised dependencies, raising concerns about supply chain attacks spreading through the widely used JavaScript package ecosystem and unwanted contact via WhatsApp.

Privacy-minded users are warning others to avoid installing Meta products such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on phones and laptops, arguing the company engages in data practices that should not be considered normal. Commenters add that responding with 'of course Meta would do this' normalizes behaviour that should face scrutiny instead of being accepted as expected.