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New Delhi: Entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo has expressed worry about WhatsApp’s planned ‘name change’ functionality which he believes, unless appropriate protective mechanisms are put in place, may lead to increased online scams and identity theft in India. His remarks have opened the door to broader commentary on the internet by users and technologists of the potential dangers of this new feature.
WhatsApp has recently rolled out its latest feature, which was introduced in 2018, to allow users to use a unique username for connecting to others without providing their personal phone numbers. The feature aims to enhance privacy by allowing people to chat with usernames rather than phone numbers. Many users will find this an effective privacy feature, but some will feel it would also facilitate scams.
In a country such as India, this could be a disaster, if the right anti-abuse systems are not set up by WhatsApp.
Imagine receiving a message from warikoo / awarikoo / ankurwarikooo / ankur_warikoo / a_warikoo / ankurwarikooofficial etc etc – soliciting money.
1. Most people… https://t.co/AaiH7F1szN
— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) June 30, 2026
In a tweet, Warikoo said that if WhatsApp didn’t develop adequate anti-abuse mechanisms in a country like India, then the feature could prove to be “a disaster.” Scammers can set up fake usernames such as an identical username to a popular or popular-looking actor or individual. For instance, if one missed a letter in the word or added one more, a user might assume they were speaking with a real person. A fraudster might send out messages using usernames that are nearly indistinguishable from the account of a public figure to request payments for goods or services or information, explains Warikoo. However, many of these users may find the slight differences in their usernames insignificant and may end up victims of online fraud.
His post was well-received with online comments. Several users replied that they had their concerns and asked how WhatsApp could launch this kind of functionality without more robust security controls. Some users have suggested that WhatsApp has been a messaging platform by phone numbers, and that usernames might affect user trust of received messages. Others observed that WhatsApp intends to offer a four-digit PIN to get in touch with users via their usernames; they said more security features are needed.
The issue has also caught the interest of other leaders of the startup community in India, who are concerned about the possibility of spam, fake accounts, and impersonation taking place if there is no stringent verification and reporting mechanism. Those who believe that, though, argue it provides more privacy as the people don’t really need to provide their phone numbers to communicate. The success of the feature will depend on the extent to which WhatsApp is able to prevent misuse, experts say, as the feature will be launched worldwide once it is available to everyone. People using the service will be best served if they verify and contact a trusted source of contacts, refrain from providing funds using a message sent from an unknown account, and report any unusual activity right away.
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