WHATSAPP SCAM MESSAGES

The number of scams spreading through the messaging app WhatsApp keeps on increasing.

WhatsApp’s growing popularity seems to be attracting more and more scammers.

The world’s most popular messaging platform has seen its fair share of scams and the latest being the “free internet without Wi-Fi” trick, a prominent IT security company ESET revealed.

According to a blog on ESET’s WeLiveSecurity.com, this particular scam tries to lure in unwary users by promising free internet services without the need to use a Wi-Fi which, despite being technical impossible, ends up tempting users to fall for it.

As is the case with almost all WhatsApp scams, users receive the message through a messaging group or a friend recommending the service, who themselves are often unaware of it. The message also features an invitation link that guides users to a website which is designed to make the scheme look credible.

The website asks users to share the message with 13 others in order to avail the free internet offer spreading the scam to other in the process. To make the scam look credible, there are comments at the bottom of the offer from the people who apparently tried the scam. However, the messages and the profiles associated with them are fake and all are part of the fraud.

Once the message has been shared, the user is diverted to dodgy websites that try to get the user pay for costly subscriptions or install third party apps and reveal personal information and bank details in the process.

The search for free internet can then come at hefty price.

Scammers have been devising ingenious ways to trick WhatsApp users and some of which are very convincing. As such users are advised to avoid spreading such messages and stay clear of anything that seems too good to be true.

So, my fellow nurses and the general public who also think they are doing a favour by spreading false and unverified health messages, be wary of such! Always verify messages before spreading!