Are WhatsApp crime groups spreading fear and misinformation?

Community WhatsApp groups created to improve neighbourhood safety are increasingly amplifying fear and misinformation instead of preventing crime, according to private security company Community Monitoring Service (CMS).

The warning follows growing research indicating that informal community crime groups often blur the line between verified threats and assumptions, creating environments where suspicion is treated as evidence and rumours spread faster than facts.

Alicia Olivier, social media specialist at CMS, said WhatsApp groups were never designed to function as crime intelligence platforms, yet are frequently used as such without the checks and balances required to do so responsibly.

“Community WhatsApp groups are powerful communication tools, but power without structure quickly becomes risk,” Olivier said. “When people start posting assumptions instead of verified information, the group stops improving safety and starts amplifying fear.”

Olivier manages CMS’s own WhatsApp channels, where she said only fact-based, incident- or event-related information is shared with members. One of the most common challenges community groups face, she said, is the rapid escalation of ordinary, non-criminal behaviour into so-called crime alerts.

Individuals walking, waiting or simply being unfamiliar are often labelled as suspicious without evidence of wrongdoing.

“Often what we see is a moment of discomfort being broadcast as a threat,” Olivier said. “Once that message is repeated, forwarded or reinforced by others, it gains authority it does not deserve. Just doing ordinary things becomes criminalised by the kangaroo court of mobile sharing, and that is dangerous.”

She said these dynamics are intensified by the design of WhatsApp, which enables rapid sharing but limits verification and context. As a result, false or exaggerated crime claims can trigger unnecessary panic, misdirected security responses and increased pressure on law enforcement resources.

“Panic is not prevention,” Olivier said. “When communities are reacting emotionally instead of acting on verified information, attention is pulled away from genuine crime patterns and effective prevention strategies.”

Olivier also raised concern about how some community groups can unintentionally reinforce bias. In certain groups, coded language or vague descriptors are used to identify people rather than focusing on specific behaviour.

“This encourages prejudice,” she said. “In a country like South Africa, that is especially concerning. When identity replaces behaviour as the basis for suspicion, you are no longer talking about crime prevention. You are talking about social division, and, in some cases, vigilantism can unfold in suburbs.”

The absence of moderation and clear posting rules is another recurring issue, she said. Many community groups operate without full-time administrators who actively verify information, enforce guidelines or intervene when posts become speculative or inflammatory.

“Without rules, WhatsApp groups will drift away from their original intent,” Olivier said. “They become noisy, emotional and unreliable. Important safety information gets lost, while gossip and fear dominate the conversation.”

She added that reliance on community chats can create a false sense of security.

“Residents may feel protected simply because they are connected to a group, even though no formal reporting, data analysis or prevention planning is taking place,” she said. “Being informed is not the same as being safe. WhatsApp groups should support safety, not replace proper reporting channels or structured neighbourhood safety initiatives.”

Olivier said the effectiveness of these groups ultimately depends on how they are used.

“The purpose of a community group should be clarity, not commentary,” she said. “If a message does not help someone make a safer decision or take responsible action, it probably does not belong in a crime-focused group. Technology can support safety, but it cannot replace judgement, accountability or trust. When those elements are missing, the group itself can become part of the problem it was meant to solve.”

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