WhatsApp has taken over the world of messaging applications as a market leader. With its ever-growing popularity come numerous insidious scams looking to trick the humongous user base into some malicious activity. The world’s most popular messaging application has had plenty of “creative” scams in the past; the latest one being the giveaway of “free internet without Wi-Fi,” as reported by a prominent IT security company, ESET.
ESET’s blog WeLiveSecurity.com revealed this scam, which lures unsuspecting users into the promise of the free internet without even a WiFi connection. However, in reality, it is a classic phishing scam which ends up with the user losing his/her sensitive information. The promise, while being technically impossible, has still tempted and fooled thousands of users, which is a grave cause for concern.
As with most of WhatsApp scams, the users receive a message through a group or a friend recommending the “all fantastic” free internet service; where the message is usually sent without the consent of the sender. The message features an invitation link guiding a user to a website, where the scheme is made to look very credible and a real deal.
The scam on the website asks users to share the invitation link with 13 other numbers (possibly why the scam got so big) before they can start availing the free internet offer. The scammers even have fake comments beneath the page from “people” who have apparently tried the scam and are very fond of it.
Once the message is shared, the users get diverted to another dodgy page where they are asked to either pay for costly subscriptions or install third-party apps. Consequently, users reveal their personal information and bank details. At this point, the scam gets dangerous as the scammers have successfully looted many people during this campaign.
It is imperative that we must spread awareness about cyber crimes, far and wide, so that maximum people can refrain from sharing and using such links.
Share this article as much as you can to help us spread awareness about these treacherous scams!