What is WhatsApp?
Whatsapp is a messenger app for smartphones that is used for sharing pictures, videos, audio, and messages. It is something like text messaging but whatsapp requires the internet to share messages and it does not cost anything to use. Whatsapp can even be used on desktops with the help of an option called “WhatsApp web”.
Whatsapp is a very popular messaging app amongst teenagers, young adults, adults, and even old age. It is a very good medium that helps you connect with your peers, family, relatives, and old friends who live overseas. This allows you to connect with people who you cannot meet every day.
Whatsapp now has close to 2 billion active users and is the biggest online messenger app present in the market.
To use WhatsApp one should have a compatible smartphone or tablet with a sim card. To use the app you should use your phone number as your user name and your account is always connected to the phone and the number.
With the growth in popularity of the platform and the number of people using the app, there have emerged several WhatsApp scams which one should save themselves from.
Scams on Whatsapp:
Mom and dad scam:
In the mom and dad scam the scammer sends a message which starts with “Hi mom” or “Hi dad” and continues to explain why he has to change his number after a few messages and convincing the person. They start asking for money, they claim that they are in an urgent need for money.
The targets for this scam are usually children from 18 to 25 who are probably leaving for university or starting to live on their own for work. This is also called impersonation fraud, they even use sis, bro, uncle, aunt, grandma, grandpa, etc.
Whatsapp verification message trick:
Here a person will receive a verification or authentication which they did not request and this code is followed by a message from a known person requesting the code saying it was supposed to be sent to him. This contact is a person who has already fallen victim to the scam. If you continue you may be the next victim and people may get messages from you as well.
My phone is broken whatsapp scam:
Also called “push payment fraud” it involves the scammer acting as the victim’s family member or friend, they send messages saying their phone is broken and they need money to fix their phone or they need to pay a fine or a fee or they are very much in need of money.
Wrong number scams:
Over here the scammer sends messages to random people saying if they were colleagues before, after getting no answer they apologize and say something like they had a colleague with a similar number. They don’t stop the conversation here; they continue asking the victim if they want to invest in their business.
These WhatsApp scams are very sophisticated and well-planned, the scammer here has a prepared start-up explanation and a very sophisticated website as well.
Survey WhatsApp scam:
Recently people have been getting messages saying they will get a huge cash prize or gifts from amazon if they complete a survey before which they have to pay a small amount. After completing the survey they get nothing that they were promised of.
Whatsapp romance scams:
These usually start on dating apps but some take an extra effort to get to a person on WhatsApp, it can be someone you already know as well or a friend of someone you already know.
Over here the scammer makes the victim fall in love with them, they lure and flirt with the person so much, that the victim gets blinded with love and gets ready to do anything for the scammer, taking advantage of the situation, the scammer either asks for bank account details and get access to the victims whole account itself or asks the victim to transfer money, they claim that they are very much in need for money.
Kidnapping scams:
Over here Whatsapp scammers trick you by saying they have kidnapped a relative or friend of yours and they try to rush you to send money. In such situations it is better to keep your calm and check with that friend or relative by calling or messaging. If everything is ok you can either ignore the message or contact the cops.
How to save yourself from these scams
As the number of people increases, the number of people using WhatsApp is going to increase as well, which is only going to increase the scams and frauds, the frauds are here to stay and they are not going to go away anytime soon.
So it is important to know how to keep yourself safe from these scams.
- It is very important to think twice before you fall in love with someone, assessing the character, intentions. And motives of a person is very important, and even if you do it is not ok to send money to them without meeting in person.
- If you get a message from someone saying they are your son or daughter and need money it is important to verify. By asking them for proof or it is better to call your son or daughter’s number once.
- If you get a message from someone close saying they broke their phone. And they need money for repair do ask them for a proof or check whether the information is true or not before sending money.
- It’s probably better to ignore any message asking for money as they are probably scams.
- It is better to ignore links or buttons as they might be scams as well.
Conclusion:
With the increase in the number of people using the messenger the WhatsApp scams also have been increasing. This makes it very important for one to be very careful and double check before clicking on any link or paying any money and falling in love with anyone online.
