The 2 billion users of WhatsApp today send an average of 110 billion messages daily, and amid those communications are fraudsters waiting for an opportunity to strike. WhatsApp has developed into a simple method for scammers to spread phony messages over a variety of channels in the hopes that unsuspecting individuals will be duped online.
Due to WhatsApp's
accessibility and popularity, cybercrime is on the rise and now costs each
victim, on average, hundreds of dollars. This article's goals are to educate
you on the popular real-world WhatsApp scams, teach you how to
spot one and provide you with some strategies for avoiding falling victim to a
con artist.
Most Popular WhatsApp scams that one needs to avoid:
There are numerous WhatsApp scams in use, and as frauds
get more sophisticated, the number is expected to grow. Look at a few of the
most typical frauds listed below.
1. Identity
Fraud:
Scammers use WhatsApp
to pretend to be family members who require money and are having financial
difficulties, a practice known as the "Mum and Dad scam." This form
of con has developed from fraudsters pretending to be a bank, police force, or
any other authorized agency.
It begins with a
message purporting to be from a loved one who has recently lost their phone and
received a replacement but coming from an unknown number. It justifies them for
having a different number and enables them to simply refer to others as
"Mum," "Dad," or occasionally "sis" or
"bro."
They typically claim
that because they have a new phone and cannot access their internet or mobile
banking app, they need urgent assistance to pay a bill. The exact story they
tell varies. Any attempt to phone them to confirm their identity is frequently
refused with an explanation. Victims deposit funds into an account under the
impression that they are supporting their loved ones. This causes victims to
lose, an average amount of £2,000.
In these kinds of WhatsApp scams, an intermediary is
frequently used. The fraudster instructs WhatsApp users to instruct a family
member or friend to transfer money to the specified account and then move the
money into their account. In this scenario, the fraudster typically provides
the victim with account information.
To avoid detection at
the moment, fraudsters take the precaution of convincing the bank that the
transfer is "low risk." More importantly, it would be challenging to
track down the payment because the funds were sent through several accounts and
the fraudster severed all ties with them after receiving the funds.
A real-life example of Identity Fraud:
Christine, a Money
Edit reader, nearly lost £1,000 to a WhatsApp fraudster posing as her daughter.
By requesting the middle name of her daughter, she, fortunately, exposed the
con artist.
Read >>> Androidp1.com
2. Wholesale
WhatsApp scam:
This is one to be on
the lookout for because consumers are currently attempting to score every deal
they can.
False Tesco, Amazon,
Flipkart & Spencer gift cards are circulated by fraudsters using WhatsApp.
The purpose of the communications, which appear to have been sent by a kind
friend, is to get you to click on the link to redeem the coupon.
Such a claim might
be: "Hello, Amazon is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering away a
£200 free coupon. Click here to claim yours. Have fun and say thanks
later!" However, the grocery store isn't at all handing out any £200
vouchers.
The grammatical and
language errors, along with the fact that the page at the URL provided in the
offer does not exist on the Amazon website, are two telltale signals that this
is a hoax.
3. WhatsApp
hijacking:
It's normal to
practice hijacking a user's WhatsApp account to utilize it for fraudulent purposes.
Getting the first user's phone number is the first step in the hijacking. They
download WhatsApp onto their mobile phone, contact the target, pretend to be a
friend, and simultaneously request the target's account confirmation number.
They message the victim at the same time, claiming the code was accidentally
sent, to get the verification code and access the victim's account.
4. Negative
links:
External links are an
easy way for scammers to spread a URL that directs the receiver to a browser
where they must fill out a survey in exchange for a gift. The user fills out
the survey and supplies confidential details such as their name, location,
email Id, and bank details. These specifics may be sold to other parties or
used by the fraudster to steal identities.
5. Hacked
applications:
Although there aren't
any alternative WhatsApp versions accessible right now on iOS or Android, tales
of malware being concealed in previously downloaded apps have been confirmed.
After a user downloaded the malicious program, messages were sent to other
WhatsApp users with links to the download website, further disseminating the
infection.
Conclusion:
A well-liked and safe
instant messenger is WhatsApp. Regrettably, con artists have abused its
accessibility and ease of usage. Through a variety of techniques, they scam
victims using the app. Furthermore, scammers can quickly open a new account
with a different phone number and frequently a stolen device if their original
phone numbers are deleted or reported.
You can defend yourself
against these WhatsApp scams by
being aware of the various scams, being wary of messages from unknown contacts,
being wary of offers that seem too good to be true, being wary of messages that
request money or personal information, checking the legitimacy of links before
clicking on them, and reporting suspicious messages to WhatsApp.
Read >>> Kraket
