NEW DELHI: WhatsApp users need to be very careful as the instant messaging platform has been hit by a new scam.
According to Cybersecurity firm ESET, a new internet scam is doing rounds that is designed to defraud WhatsApp users.
The users of the dominant messaging application receive a message from “WhatsApp” offering 1,000GB of free internet data to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The scammers will suggest the users to click the attached link.
However, don’t click the attached URL as isn’t an official WhatsApp website. It is merely a fraud to generate money.
“What strikes us right off the bat here is that the URL that comes with the message is not an official WhatsApp domain,” the researchers said in a blog post late Monday.
What if click the link?
As soon as the user click on the link, it directs users to a survey that asks questions in the form of a survey. “While you would be responding to the questionnaire, the site would invite you to pass along the offer to at least 30 more people in order to qualify for the big reward’. Needless to say, this is merely a way to boost the campaign’s reach,” said the researchers.
Benefiting the fraudsters
The scammers rob you off your money. “Apparently, their goal here is click fraud – a highly prevalent monetization scheme that relies on racking up bogus ad clicks that ultimately bring revenues for the operators of any given campaign,” warned ESET.