Although Facebook is the application and social network with more millions of followers, WhatsApp is used by more than 1/4 of the total population of the world, which makes it one of the most massive and ideal social channels to carry out scams using social engineering and messages that can go viral.
And one of the most used is the one that begins with an innocent “Sorry, who are you?” that can make us lower our guard.
WhatsApp scams, the fake message
The popular portal WABetaInfo, experts in anticipating all the news that will reach WhatsApp, have been the victims of a scam attempt using the introductory phrase that we tell you above. And taking advantage of the situation, they have told one of the ways in which scammers often use the messaging application to take advantage and economic benefit.
- They usually buy a VoIP number (voice over Internet protocol, technology to make phone calls through an Internet connection), which is not allowed to be used on WhatsApp according to its rules, and can have different objectives: a specific person or random people .
- When they find a valid phone number, they send a message asking something like “Excuse me, who are you? I found you on my agenda. “
- They are always nice to you because they want to earn your trust.
- They start asking you simple details, like what your name is and what your job is and how old are you, and they give you some compliments to make you feel good.
- There comes a time when the scammer asks you to add him to your social networks, such as Instagram or Facebook
- The scammer (s) try to access your public information on Facebook and Instagram, such as your friends list and other interesting details that can help them steal your money.
- Their next move is to blackmail you, saying that they will share some confidential photos (real photos, if you shared them naively, or photos edited using Adobe Photoshop) with your friends and family if you don’t send them money.
- Never, under any circumstances, should you send them money. Because they won’t stop blackmailing you after receiving it, they will ask for more.
According to WaBetaInfo, scammers “can send messages to people in a drastic time of emotional or emotional frailty and be able to deceive her. You have to know what’s behind a WhatsApp account ”.
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