Whatsapping and other types of scam to steal from WhatsApp users during the Christmas season – La Nación

Criminals are executing a new type of scam.

As WhatsApp has become the main communication tool for millions of people in the world, cybercriminals have also transformed the instant messaging application into a resource to scam their victims.

Now that the holiday season has begun, cybercriminals are preparing to launch different types of scams to steal from WhatsApp users.

What is ‘whatsapping’ and how does this scam work?

This scam is based on the impersonation of a person or brand (mainly banking or credit institutions), in order to try to steal personal information or money from the victim.

Although the scam takes place through a phone call, criminals can appeal to other complementary resources to execute the deceptionwhich can be:

• Impersonation of a family member who requires moneyfor which a text message from an unknown name is used which talks about an emergency situation that can be solved with a money transfer.
• An unknown number sends a text message requesting a code that was sent in error, but said code is the WhatsApp verification key that is sent by the application via SMS, when a third party is trying to log in from another device. If the user falls for the deception, they will be giving up access to their WhatsApp account.
• He criminal claims to be an official of a bank or recognized brand and during the call sends a fake link to the victim to log in to a fraudulent website that has the same appearance as the official website of the bank or service online.
• Messages via WhatsApp reporting a traffic fine that must be paid immediately to prevent the penalty from being more costly. This message is accompanied by a link that directs to a fraudulent website.