Although WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps among hundreds of thousands of people, and it has become increasingly important to keep in touch with work colleagues and family in recent months, there are a number of hackers and fraudsters that try to defraud WhatsApp users.
As a result, we’d like to alert you to the most recent sort of swindle being used by hackers to steal the data of numerous WhatsApp users.
The Internet Security Office (OSI) of Spain, which is part of the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and the National Institute of Cybersecurity, discovered a new type of WhatsApp scam a few days ago, and it has since been reproduced in other countries.
How does the new WhatsApp phishing scam operate?
The latest WhatsApp scam is criminal hackers sending an email that looks to come from the instant messaging platform.
“Backup of WhatsApp communications * 913071605 No (xxxxx)” is the subject of the email.
The plan is for the consumer to fall for the deception and open the email, believing that it was WhatsApp that provided him a backup of your WhatsApp conversations.
When the user opens the email, however, it contains an attachment or a link to a file that is allegedly a backup copy of the user’s WhatsApp conversations.
When a person falls into the trap, what he is actually downloading to his computer when he clicks on the link is an executable virus that is installed on the victim’s device.
Once within the victim’s computer system, the virus monitors and takes the victim’s information, passwords, and credentials.
Tips for preventing a virus from infecting your computer.
* Never download files to your mobile phone or computer from suspicious emails you receive, even if they are from your contacts, because you never know whether they, too, have been hacked, or if they have stolen their data or worse, impersonated their identity to deceive others.
* If you have an Android phone, be extra cautious because it is much easier to install third-party apps that aren’t available in the Google Play Store and could contain malware.
* Always maintain your device’s operating system, as well as any apps you’ve installed, up to date.
