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The most common scams on WhatsApp: their nature and what you can do to prevent them from affecting you
Spy WhatsApp
Sadly & # 39; Spy WhatsApp & # 39; It's all a claim. Every month, thousands of users visit Google to get information about it. The cybercriminals seized the opportunity and created an application called WhatsApp Spy and which, in reality, is only one of the main WhatsApp Scams. This is a parallel application to the official application that, even if it promises to allow other WhatsApp spying on other users, does not respect it and also strives to steal data and money to its users. Simply, with links to websites containing malware or asking for the victim's phone number.
WhatsApp Gold, WhatsApp Gold version
Although it started many years ago and does not have the same capacity as before to trick users, the WhatsApp Gold scam is one of the most common. It promises us functions that the official application does not have, it is its claim vis-à-vis its potential victims. However, this does not increase the emoticon "library" of users, nor does it offer us the massive sending of images –among others-but simply designed to get our phone number and, therefore, subscribe to a premium SMS messaging service. By doing this, the scam is already over and we will see this on the next bill of our phone.
If you do not transmit to all your contacts …
The WhatsApp Channels These are not originals of this instant messaging application. We already live in MSN Messenger, for example, when they assured us that the service would close our account if we did not send a message to a certain number of users. Usually, this type of WhatsApp scam does not research the damage caused by viruses, nor the theft of information or money. They are simply a nuisance to users, a way to generate spam and a hoax after all. Nobody will close our WhatsApp account if we do not stay active, although there is a channel in which we try to cheat with this message.
Coupons and fake discounts at Zara, Mercadona …
Discounts, promotions, offers, coupons with & # 39; X & # 39; money … This type of scam uses department stores such as Zara and Mercadona. In these scams, they try to deceive us by promising to spend 250 euros in Mercadona, for example, or elsewhere, but they ask us in return to fill out a questionnaire. After all, this is a phishing attack in which the identity of the large area is embodied with the intent to steal personal data or to get our phone number to subscribe to an email service Premium SMS.
Free internet without WiFi
The free scam on the Internet without WiFi benefits, as we know, many users "They do not arrive at the end of the month" with your mobile data franchise under contract with the operator. To deceive the user receives an invitation supposedly exclusive, thus allowing you to access the internet for free without connecting to Wi-Fi networks. All kinds of fake testimonials and testimonials are shown around the phone. scam and, in reality, they only subscribe the user to a premium SMS service, or change their DNS configuration for a personal data theft attack.
Free flights or nights of hotel
It's a scam similar to "Mercadona coupons" and its derivatives. The user is promised free flights, or free hotel nights, in exchange for an inquiry. The mechanisms are the same and, once again, the only purpose of this type of form is to steal personal information from users. Although this is not always the case, in most cases your phone number is used to subscribe the victim to an SMS messaging service with a significant additional cost on the usual bill for mobile phone services.
Job Opportunity
Another similar: if you want to get a job in a simple way, just fill out a form. On this occasion, the mechanics are repeated but the deception is different. Also part of a phishing attack, making the victim believe that she is on the website of a large company such as Mercadona. In this type of deception, they promise us quick and easy access to an employment opportunity and, in reality, they only want to steal our personal data.
Why are scams so common with WhatsApp?
The scams, disappointments and WhatsApp Scams They become more and more frequent and habitual. And how not, they evolve little by little and "disguise" in different ways. After all, all these forms of scams can be grouped into several types, although the details and particularities of each differentiate them from others. The reason why WhatsApp A point as important for Internet scams is as simple as it is the instant messaging application that has the largest number of users in the world.
This, the fact that it has so many users, means that WhatsApp Scams have a greater chance of success. In addition, fraudsters and cybercriminals choose social networks and instant messaging applications so that their scams can become viral. It is relatively simple to bring the users themselves to spread the scams and, therefore, to increase their reach in a "natural" way.
What does WhatsApp do to avoid scams or do these scams affect more potential victims?
From Mark Zuckerberg's company, they know perfectly well that their IM service, WhatsApp, is used by some of its users to broadcast scams, deceptions and scams of all kinds. And also malware and other forms of viruses, of course. And fortunately, the instant messaging application has a system of user protection based on several points: we can block other contacts and we can also denounce so that the application's technical support team has proof of the claims and, if necessary, acts against an account.
In fact, a number of guidelines must be followed when using the app if we do not want a WhatsApp ban. Beyond that, a system has recently been introduced which notify to users when a message has been transmitted. It is reported and the number of times that a message can be forwarded to other contacts is limited. In this way, users can be warned and the potential scope of scams is greatly reduced by trying to prevent them from becoming viral.
How can users act if they detect that they have received a scam via whatsapp?
WhatsApp users should make sure to be part of the delivery of problematic messages. It is essential to avoid the dissemination of untested information. This is the first step to prevent scams from spreading without limits. On the other hand, they should take into account the Origin of the message –its transmitter, and check if there is an indicator that the message is being forwarded and not original to the sender. Beyond that, it is what we can do if we detect that we have received a scam.
- Notify the contact who sent us the message, if it is our confidence, that it is a scam and try to prevent it from spreading the message. It is advisable to warn those who have already sent the message with the scam.
- Delete the conversation or the message in question, which constitutes the scam, especially if it is a scam whose URL redirects us to another web page, for example with viruses or other forms of malware. malicious programs.
- Do not offer any personal data or banking information.
- Block the sender of the message if it is an unknown person.
- Report contact
How to report a WhatsApp contact, if you only distribute scams
If you do not know the phone number, the scam probably does not affect you because of a human error, but because this number is dedicated to its mass distribution. In this case, and in other similar cases, the best thing to do is perhaps to use the security tools offered by the instant messaging application, such as, for example, report the contact. The way to do it is simple:
In any conversation, click the name of the contact to open the profile page of the user in question. Scroll down until you find the option & # 39; Report contact & # 39; and, again, click on the option "Report". At this point, if you wish, you can click on & # 39; Report and block & # 39;. Thus, you will not only alert WhatsApp of the supposed problem of this user, but you will also prevent you from sending you more messages via the instant messaging application.
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