Category #4: Fake SurveysĪnother popular WhatsApp scam involves fake surveys. At that point, the scammer can access your device, which probably has much of your personal information.īefore you regain full access to your device, the scammer will have done as they please with your information. For example, the text could read something like ‘Click to get 60% off in Nobu restaurant.’īy clicking the fraudulent link, you will have installed malware/virus into your device. In this scenario, what happens is that the scammer sends you a link with enticing text. The fraudulent links scam is pretty hard to detect thankfully, it is quite rare as it requires the scammer to be extremely tech-savvy. The recipient will gain full access to your app if you do so. Prior to you receiving the text, the scammer will have requested a verification number for your account from WhatsApp, which the site will send to your number.Īssuming the first thing you will do after receiving the scammer’s text is check your text messages, you will see that the story checks out and thus be tempted to send the verification number to the scammer.

It all starts when a random number texts you saying they mistakenly sent their WhatsApp verification number to your phone. With that said, the verification trick is when cybercriminals gain access to your WhatsApp so they can proceed to scam people in your contact list. Category #2: Verification TrickĪnytime you need to access your WhatsApp account from a different device, you will be required to input a verification code that will typically be sent as a text message. Worst case scenario, you panic and send the requested funds to the scammer. Please send me some money on my PayPal account.’ In this scenario, the scammer pretends to be the victim’s loved one or friend and then asks for financial help or other sensitive information.įor example, assume you are a grandparent and don’t know exactly where your child is.Ī scammer sends you this text ‘Good Morning it’s your grandson. For that reason, most scams fall into one of the following categories. It’s relatively easy to detect a WhatsApp scam because cybercriminals often use the same script with slightly tweaked wording/processes. How To Block and Report a Suspicious WhatsApp Contact?.How To Protect Yourself From WhatsApp Scams?.

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