In this guide, we’ll deep dive into the most common types of WhatsApp scams to look out for. Verification codes are critical to getting access to your WhatsApp account. Be very vigilant if you receive a verification code you have not requested. Whether you get one via SMS, a phone call, or push notifications, never share your codes with anyone, no matter how believable the story they present. One of the most common WhatsApp scams is a romance scam where the scammer pretends to be an Asian lady. These WhatsApp scam messages are similar to other Asian lady scams found on the internet, but they’re sent over WhatsApp.
Monitor Phone Activity
Social media, messaging apps, and communicating with strangers online are all part of our daily lives, but it’s important to stay aware of potential scams. WhatsApp scams can target anyone, so equip your phone with a powerful online security tool. Norton 360 for Mobile helps protect your phone against malware, spyware, and other online threats, and it offers a secure VPN to help you browse, shop, and bank securely online. In this scam, the victim receives a text message claiming to be from a legitimate company, with a link to claim a supposedly free gift card.
Or you might be asked for personal information to “claim” your gift card — in reality, you are handing over sensitive information to a scammer. Lottery and giveaway scams are popular on WhatsApp and other social media platforms — for example, they can often be found as a type of Instagram scam. In this scam, you receive a message claiming you’ve won a lottery or giveaway. Usually the scammer also sends a link, asking you to open it to “claim” your prize. WhatsApp is a great place to keep in touch with friends and family online.
- For instance, if it’s a romance scam, they might use a fake video of a woman whose pictures they’re using to catfish you.
- Players and non-players are promised cash prizes in exchange for a fee to claim their prize, which of course, doesn’t exist.
- Henry is a seasoned tech writer with a passion for making complex technology topics accessible to everyday readers.
- You can send a scammer’s phone number to the app via an SMS message over the GPRS network.
- They will also never ask for credit card information or verification codes to supposedly prevent account termination.
- If the scammer gets the verification code, they’ll be able to take over the victim’s account.
- Once he has the mother’s or father’s phone number, they send them a text impersonating their son or daughter.
Fortunately, you can practice simple security policies that require no technical knowledge to stay safe. Cybercriminals preying on victims via WhatsApp will often claim that users have won the lottery or earned a gift. All they have to do to gain access to their prize is complete a survey. The purpose of this scam is mainly financial theft, but sometimes, when downloading documents or surveys from the scammer, they will install malware to steal data.
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⁴ Child members on the family plan will only have access to online account monitoring and social security number monitoring features. Apps like WhatsApp offer low-cost ways for scammers to reach billions of targets around the world. These scams start with someone sending you an innocuous message that seems meant for someone else. For example, confirming an upcoming event or meeting or even just simply sending “hi”. Even if you’re on the lookout for fraudsters, some WhatsApp scams can be incredibly convincing. Get Norton 360 for Mobile to help protect against malware and other threats from online scams.
You must report scams — not just block them, mute them, or delete them. One common social engineering strategy WhatsApp scammers employ is to pretend they’re someone you know who’s got a new phone and has a new number. This becomes their pretext for why they’re not showing up as a contact on your phone.
How to protect yourself from scams on WhatsApp
Some WhatsApp scams can result in the scammer gaining access to your WhatsApp account or hacking your phone using malware. But this cannot happen unless you take some action to permit it, such as clicking an infected link or sharing a verification code. A strong security app like Norton 360 for Mobile can help protect you against malware, spyware, ransomware, and other online threats that may accompany WhatsApp scams. Plus, it includes a built-in VPN to encrypt your internet traffic and help protect the personal information you send and receive online. Are you worried that the person who’s chatting with you on WhatsApp isn’t who they say they are?
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If you’re messaged by a contact you don’t know, treat them with caution. In most cases, the scammer will video call you to try to make you trust them. In some cases, however, they may be looking to get a screenshot or video of you when you answer to use for blackmail or identity theft. They might do this by making the connection so unstable and low quality that you can’t tell who is on the other end. For instance, if it’s a romance scam, they might use a fake video of a woman whose pictures they’re using to catfish you. If it’s targeted, it might be that the scammer matched with you on a dating app and is catfishing you, pretending to be someone they’re not.
Friends and family scam
Get a detailed look at their web habits, see all websites they visit on the phone, access the time and date of each visit. Discover the accurate time bitcoin leads cryptocurrency sell and location of the Wi-Fi hotspots their phone connects with. You can also take a screenshot of the message and report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by emailing the image to Any WhatsApp message you receive unexpectedly should be treated with suspicion. We’ve seen dodgy investment scam adverts lead to WhatsApp groups where you’re given free ‘stock trading advice’ for weeks before being asked to pay for this guidance.
And while it’s generally a safe instant messaging service, there are scams on the app that you should be aware of. In this paypal linked with $500m bid for crypto asset security firm curv guide, you’ll learn about different types of WhatsApp scams and how to recognize and avoid them. Then, get a powerful mobile app that combines security and antivirus features to help protect against the variety of scams and threats you may come across online. With over 2 billion active users, WhatsApp is the world’s most-used instant messaging app. WhatsApp scams, frauds, cons, and hacks are not showing any sign of slowing down.
Besides changing your privacy settings, there is no way to avoid getting spam messages or spam calls. If you get any suspicious messages or are in doubt about a contact, immediately report, block, and delete it. This will not only prevent the attacker from contacting you again but will notify WhatsApp’s support and security team so that the contact cannot try to scam others. The scammer, once identified by the WhatsApp security team, will face legal consequences, and the block will prevent them from doing further harm. The WhatsApp scammer might be direct, pretending to be a crypto investment guru and offering you advice if you simply enter your information on their website.
If you send them the verification code, scammers could potentially take over your account and use it to scam your contacts. In this variation of an imposter scam, fraudsters pose as friends or loved ones in need of immediate help. But what they really want is your six-digit WhatsApp verification code, personal information, or money. Aura’s app keeps you safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft. Scammers often trick victims into thinking they are giving money to a good cause by posing as a charity and asking for donations.
While charities are often worthy causes, it is unlikely that a legitimate charity would ever randomly message you on WhatsApp. More likely, it’s a scammer trying to exploit your goodwill or gain access to your financial details — as was the case in these Covid-19 charity scams. Catfishing is a classic social media scam that often takes place via WhatsApp after you meet a romantic interest on another app. It’s tough to keep track of new WhatsApp scams, especially when they use social engineering schemes to trick potential victims out of hard-earned cash. In fact, Americans lost over $300 million due to text message scams in 2022 alone.
Scammers pose as WhatsApp support representatives and ask you to verify your identity by sending a verification code as an SMS or Telegram message. They may also offer to „help“ by requesting sensitive information like credit card numbers or 6-digit WhatsApp codes. Similar to a gift card scam, in QR code scams, scammers use WhatsApp to send a QR code, asking you to scan the code to receive a prize. But, by following the scammer’s instructions, you may end up giving them sensitive information that they can use for identity theft or to access your bank account. Cybercriminals send you a message pretending to be from legitimate companies and claim you have won the lottery, a prize, or a giveaway. These messages usually contain a link to claim the supposed prize.
- The scam is similar to ransomware extortion, but the main difference is that the scammer never hacked you, nor does he have the files or information.
- A recent data leak, for example, exposed nearly 500 million WhatsApp phone numbers from 84 countries.
- And approximately one in every three of those dollars were lost to crypto romance scams.
- This will not only prevent the attacker from contacting you again but will notify WhatsApp’s support and security team so that the contact cannot try to scam others.
- WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption, which means any information you share with another person using WhatsApp cannot be seen by a third party.
- You must report scams — not just block them, mute them, or delete them.
A WhatsApp crypto scam will usually try to convince you to invest in a certain kind of cryptocurrency via a specific link or to use a specific crypto trading platform. These are job scams and employment fraud that will often consist of easy work that requires minimal qualifications and experience in exchange for a high salary. The messages often also ask you to reshare the message to basic vs technical analysis a number of your WhatsApp contacts, to keep the scam spreading. Cristina is a freelance writer and a mother of two living in Denmark. Her 15 years experience in communication includes developing content for tv, online, mobile apps, and a chatbot. You can easily add it to your WhatsApp and check any messages you receive from unknown numbers.