WhatsApp tells users to follow 3 important new rules as it bans millions of chat accounts

It's no secret or surprise to hear that WhatsApp users are under attack from cyber crooks. The hugely popular chat app is now used by billions across the globe making it a top target for online thieves trying to cash in. One of the most-used scams is still the infamous "Hi mum" message which has seen hundreds of thousands of pounds handed over to criminals in the UK alone.

With WhatsApp in the spotlight, the chat firm is now fighting back in a bid to beat scammers.

"Every day criminal scammers attempt to play on people’s economic anxiety to trick people with too-good-to-be-true offers and pyramid schemes to earn quick money," WhatsApp explained.

"In the first six months of this year, as part of our ongoing proactive work to protect people from scams, WhatsApp detected and banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centres. "

This massive block should make it far harder for criminals to target WhatsApp users and that's not the only thing that should help prevent future attacks.

As well as blocking almost 7 million accounts from its platform, WhatsApp also says it is now working on a bunch of new features that will help to stop cyber crooks in their tracks.

These include a new safety overview that will show users when someone who is not in their contacts adds them to a new WhatsApp group they may not recognise.

Explaining more, WhatsApp said: "We’ve all been there: someone you don’t know attempting to message you, or add you to a group chat, promising low-risk investment opportunities or easy money, or saying you have an unpaid bill that’s overdue. The reality is, these are often scammers trying to prey on people’s kindness, trust and willingness to help – or, their fears that they could be in trouble if they don’t send money fast."

It's hope the new protections will cut down on people losing money of harming details over to thieves. In the meantime there are some things we can all do to stay safe.

WhatsApp has now issued three top tips everyone should follow to avoid becoming the next victim,

PAUSE: Take time before you respond. Think about whether this is a number you recognize, or whether it reads like a legitimate ask.

QUESTION: Does this request make sense? Does it seem too good to be true? Are they asking you to send money, gift cards or PIN codes? Are they offering unrealistically high pay for a few hours of work? Are they rushing you into taking action? These might be signs of a scam.

VERIFY: If they’re claiming to be a friend or family member, make sure that they are who they say they are by contacting that friend directly – ideally using another method of communication. For example, if they messaged you on WhatsApp, call them on their phone – or if they sent you an SMS, give them a WhatsApp call using the phone number you know is theirs.