WhatsApp is set to introduce usernames, a new privacy feature that will allow users to connect with others without sharing their phone numbers.
Reacting to the upcoming feature, KnotDating CEO Jasveer Singh said his first concern was not user privacy but the potential for increased scams. “WhatsApp just launched usernames. My first thought wasn’t privacy – it was scams,” he said.
The CEO pointed to Telegram, where users can contact others through usernames without knowing their phone numbers. According to him, this has made the platform a target for scammers and spam messages.
WhatsApp just launched usernames. My first thought wasn’t privacy – it was scams.
The biggest reason I never used Telegram was because anyone could contact you without knowing your phone number. It became a paradise for scammers.
Phone numbers created accountability. You knew…
— Jasveer Singh (@jasveer10) June 30, 2026
He warned that while usernames improve privacy by hiding phone numbers, they could also reduce accountability. This, he believes, could make it easier for scammers to create fake identities.
The CEO said he hopes WhatsApp has built strong anti-spam and anti-scam systems to prevent misuse of the new feature. “I hope WhatsApp has built much stronger anti-spam systems, otherwise this could become their biggest headache,” he added.
Read: WhatsApp Username Feature: What It Is, How It Works, And Why It Matters
A lot of people on social media platform X are saying that this WhatsApp username feature can lead to impersonations and fraud.
One user said that WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature could make investigations more difficult for law enforcement agencies. He said platforms that rely on usernames instead of phone numbers can make it easier for cybercriminals to hide their identities.
The username-based identity feature of WhatsApp may emerge as a major challenge for law enforcement agencies. With a similar feature, Telegram has often figured in investigations involving investment scams, impersonation and cybercrime.#WhatsApp is much bigger. At the… pic.twitter.com/N3LQV66LVr
— Arun Bothra ???????? (@arunbothra) June 30, 2026
He also cited Telegram as an example, noting that the platform has frequently been linked to investigations involving investment fraud, impersonation and other cybercrimes. “WhatsApp is much bigger. At the scale of billions of users, even small design choices can have enormous public safety implications,” he added.
Another user said that the username feature could become a serious problem in countries like India if WhatsApp does not introduce strong anti-abuse safeguards.
He said scammers could create usernames that closely resemble those of well-known public figures. He cited an example that instead of using his real name, Ankur Warikoo, fraudsters could use slight variations such as “awarikoo”, “ankur_warikoo” or “ankurwarikooofficial” to trick people into believing they are speaking to the genuine person.
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
He said many users may not know how to identify verified accounts, making it easier for impersonators to deceive them.
He further said that he has personally experienced the problem, claiming that AI-generated advertisements using his image were used to lure people into fake investment WhatsApp groups. He added that he had fought a legal case against Meta over its alleged failure to remove such scam advertisements quickly.
Announcing the feature on X, WhatsApp said usernames are designed to give users more privacy by allowing them to connect with others without sharing their personal phone numbers. The company said users will be able to choose a unique username that others can use to find and message them instead of seeing their mobile number.
your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over. that’s why we’re introducing usernames for WhatsApp.
starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure…
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) June 29, 2026
WhatsApp also announced that users can start reserving their preferred usernames this week, ahead of the feature’s wider rollout later this year. To reserve a username, users need to update WhatsApp to the latest version and go to Settings > Account > Username. The company said the process takes only a few seconds.
