Created in 2009 as an alternative to text messaging, WhatsApp is today one of the world’s most popular instant messaging services with more than one billion users in 180 countries. According to a May 2016 report from a research firm, SimilarWeb, WhatsApp is the top chat app in 109 countries, which represents 58 per cent of the 187 countries covered in the survey. Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 to make a bigger play in the rapidly growing messaging market, along with its own Messenger platform. At the time the deal was announced, WhatsApp had 450 million users worldwide.
Considering the popularity and widespread usage of WhatsApp, even among the older generations in countries such as Nigeria, it is no surprise that the attention of hackers and other unscrupulous individuals have shifted to the medium in a bid to exploit loopholes that could be used to swindle unsuspecting users of their money or other sensitive information.
Here are six WhatsApp scams you should look out for:
1. WhatsApp Gold
The offer of an upgrade to WhatsApp Gold is a fraud that starts with a message via social networks in which WhatsApp users are invited to click on a link to update their app to the inexistent Oro version (Gold version), which offers the users a suite of new and exclusive features. According to the research and development unit of Yudala, the link takes the user to a web page where, if he wants to use these improvements, he has to give his phone number. Interestingly, users who go on to give their number will be subscribed to a premium SMS service: each text message that you receive will cost you just a meagre sum.
Global attention was initially drawn to the existence of this scam by the Spanish National Police and Civil Guard when it reported the existence of an expensive scam costing users £36 per month. Since then, the scam has also been reported in a number of countries.
It is important to point out that there is only one version of WhatsApp; so caution is the watch-word should you get a similar invitation to upgrade to WhatsApp Gold.
2. WhatsApp Plus
According to the research and development unit of Yudala, this is another scam perpetrated by faceless individuals seeking to cash in on the ubiquitous usage of WhatsApp. WhatsApp Plus claims to let users send pictures, videos and music files of an unlimited size. This is in addition to allowing subscribers use WhatsApp with more than one number, a feature that is highly sought after by many users of the app. However, WhatsApp Plus is not associated with WhatsApp and the Facebook-owned service bans users who have also downloaded the fake app onto their device. A bold disclaimer was recently issued by WhatsApp to alert users to the existence of the fake app.
“WhatsApp Plus is an application that was not developed by WhatsApp, nor is it authorised by WhatsApp. WhatsApp Plus contains source code which WhatsApp cannot guarantee as safe and that your private information is potentially being passed to third parties without your knowledge or authorisation,” the statement said.
And to demonstrate its stance, WhatsApp blocks users that have downloaded the unsolicited version of the app, with users having to wait an additional 24 hours to get the ban lifted after deleting the fake app.
3. WhatsApp browser fraud
With the launch of WhatsApp’s browser platform, hackers created a number of similar-looking fraudulent websites to gain access to the sensitive data and bank details of unsuspecting users. Some of the tactics employed by these fraudulent websites include requesting users to download a seemingly harmless application onto their computers, which, in actuality, is a malicious software that allows the cybercriminals access to confidential information such as banking information. Another very popular strategy is to request the phone number of the unknowing users and then subscribe them to downloading premium services that charge special rates.
Source: Punch
0 comments:
Post a Comment