Whatsapp launched its Whatsapp video chat recently with a new update that came in all of a sudden. This update is estimated to give a really strong competition to Skype video calling platform and has managed to knock all the other messaging apps out of the park.
This recent update has also brought in a big load of internet scams.
A recent scam involving a third party website luring WhatsApp users to not only click on a link leading to malware installment but also to forward it to fifteen friends for the “activation of the video calling feature”
Whatsapp users have been warned against the scam but still, some unaware individuals keep forwarding it to their friends which are contributing to the spread.
What can you do to stop it?
- Do not click on any such links that make you go to a third party website.
- If you get an invite from your friends or family that you’ve “won an iPhone” or “won a trip to Dubai because it’s Emirates 45th birthday”, inform them about it.
- Spread awareness
According to a press release, the method devised by scammers to invite WhatsApp users for activating the feature through a spoofed website has been a topic of local and international media over the past few days.
By clicking the web link received through such invite, the user is led to a legitimate looking process actually carried through a spoofed website carrying malicious code. The process at the end asks the users to invite more friends which inevitably leads to further spread of the hack. It is pertinent to mention that WhatsApp launched the Whatsapp video calling feature recently and the feature can simply be activated by upgrading the App to its latest version and is in no way based on invites or referrals. Once activated through the spoofed invite link only way to remove the vulnerability is to reset the application through settings or to install the application again after a complete uninstall process.
“Keeping in mind the popularity of WhatsApp with the messaging users, it is important that the Pakistani users are aware of this scam so that they can take immediate measures to limit exposure to its data protection consequences” said the Ministry of IT&T spokesman.
The said scam has also been widely reported by the global hacking forums. Although the gravity of this malicious activity and its exact consequences are yet to be fully known, web and data security experts advise the users strongly against falling prey to the invite and thereby unintentionally spreading it further. (Source – The News)
What other such scams like Whatsapp Video Calling have you seen on the internet? Let us know!
