Instant messaging apps like WhatsApp are the used widely for communication now more than ever, and it’s hence that they have become targets of scamsters from over the world. The latest con that has come to the fore involves emails containing triggers for installing malware onto your devices.
Scammers have actually started to impersonate the makers of this application in order to serve their dirty purposes. Users are being sent emails that look to have come from WhatsApp. They carry the app’s logos and color schemes in order to make people believe that they are legitimate.
These emails have their subject lines read ‘Incoming Voice Message,’ and they even have a time stamp. Once you open such an email, you are greeted by a ‘missed voicemail’ prompt that’s accompanied by a button meant for playing the message.
Clicking on this button downloads malware to your device, thus infecting it. According to the Better Business Bureau, WhatsApp has clarified that it does not officially communicate with its customers through emails unless they are replying to a specific customer request.
While this is the freshest recorded scam to have hit the multi-platform messaging service, there are other ones waiting to harm your devices as well. You are advised to keep an eye out for fake messages containing links for downloading attachments.
Also Read: WhatsApp Web security bug capable of affecting 200 million users
Having an antivirus app installed on your phones will be a good step towards preventing something like this from happening to you. But more importantly, you need to be very careful while interacting with communications from irregular sources.
The massive user base of WhatsApp makes it a playground for scamsters, and this is a real cause of worry right now.