Meta owned popular messaging platform WhatsApp is used by millions of people globally. However, a lot of these people fall prey to online frauds and scams, on a daily basis. With people of older generation using the platform for their convenience, makes them an easy target for hackers.
Hackers often target WhatsApp to make money by conducting fraudulent activities. In such cases, it becomes extremely important to make people aware of some ways through which one can get protection against WhatsApp scams.
Some ways hackers try to get a response from users include these:
The first message in your chat can be just a ‘Hi’ or a ‘Hi’ along with your name. Once you reply, the hackers will initiate a conversation with you, trying to gain your trust. Once they see that they’ve gained your trust, they will proceed to ask for personal information or maybe try to extract money from you.
In other cases, the hackers might pretend to be someone you know. In case you have a doubt about the identity of the person, ask them a question that only your known one would have the answer to.
Other often instances might include texts offering a job, low-interest loan, or maybe an investment. Some text examples on WhatsApp might be as follows:
- “Want to earn easy money just by sitting at home?”
- “Triple your money with our easy investment scheme. Download this app.”
- “Loans available for just 5 percent and a repay time of three to 25 years.”
Here are a few ways in which you can get protection against WhatsApp scams.
- Do not stretch the conversation further. If it is a call, then hang up; if it is over texts then block the user. Remain cautious of never following the instructions coming from the other side.
- In extreme cases, block the user to stop them from texting you. You can even report the account as further preventive measures.
- Lastly, you should always keep your security versions updated. You can even set your privacy controls as per your preferences and enable two-step-verification on your account.
Ms Kalinga