Meta-owned WhatsApp on Monday announced the start of global username reservations, a major privacy feature aimed at allowing users to connect without sharing their phone numbers.The company said username reservations will begin rolling out immediately, enabling people to create and reserve a username before the feature becomes available within the app later this year.However, the move has sparked concerns among entrepreneurs and industry leaders, particularly over the potential rise in impersonation scams.Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo voiced his concerns in a post on X, saying the feature could create significant risks in markets such as India if robust anti-abuse measures are not implemented."In a country such as India, this could be a disaster, if the right anti-abuse systems are not set up by WhatsApp," Warikoo wrote.He warned that scammers could create usernames resembling those of public figures and use them to solicit money from unsuspecting users."Imagine receiving a message from warikoo / awarikoo / ankurwarikooo / ankur_warikoo / a_warikoo / ankurwarikooofficial etc. — soliciting money," he said. Warikoo added that many users do not understand verification badges and that username-based communication removes the ability to verify identities through phone numbers.— warikoo (@warikoo) He also referenced his previous legal battle with Meta over AI-generated advertisements allegedly using his likeness to lure people into fraudulent investment WhatsApp groups. "I understand how massive this scam is and how easy it is in our country to execute it. So forgive me if, from a public figure's standpoint, this feature raises some serious concerns," he said.Kunal Shah, who has been appointed as global CEO of Whatsapp, earlier posted about the feature on X, writing: "Timing is everything. Joined WhatsApp early enough to claim my username before we release this to the world. Time to get yours. A more private way to connect. Coming soon to your WhatsApp."Several other entrepreneurs also expressed reservations about the rollout.Jasveer Singh, Co-Founder & CEO KnotDating, said usernames could make WhatsApp vulnerable to the same problems that affected Telegram."WhatsApp just launched usernames. My first thought wasn't privacy — it was scams," Singh wrote.— jasveer10 (@jasveer10) He argued that phone numbers provide a degree of accountability because users know who is contacting them and have a number that can be reported to authorities."Usernames improve privacy, but they also reduce accountability — and that's exactly what scammers love. I hope WhatsApp has built much stronger anti-spam systems, otherwise this could become their biggest headache," he added.— vijayshekhar (@vijayshekhar) Meanwhile, Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma hinted at a possible wave of impersonation issues, posting: "Soon you will have verified username on WhatsApp, and then unverified similar-sounding usernames.... which in turn will..." The rollout marks one of WhatsApp's biggest privacy-focused changes in recent years, but reactions suggest that concerns over fraud, impersonation and user safety may remain key challenges as the feature expands globally.