5 of the most common mobile app scams and how to block them on WhatsApp

We have already told you how you can prevent and be alert to hacks carried out by various cybercriminals to attack the privacy of users and obtain their valuable data. Although this practice is difficult to predict due to the fact that it is secret and happens at any time, there are times when we have a virtual threat in front of us, but we are not able to recognize them.

WhatsApp, now part of the Meta Group, has become one of the most used services worldwide. Therefore, there are scammers who use this social network to do their thing thanks to the easy access to content and its simple interface. In order for you to identify them and act against them, in this note we have compiled some of the most used scams on WhatsApp:

Hijack account using authorization code

This type of scam has been used for a short time and consists of sending a message requesting a presumed authorization code. The scammers have a database of those users who recently sent these types of codes, to whom they then send a message similar to “Hello, sorry, I sent you the 6-digit code by SMS, can you send it to me?”.

We suggest not returning these codes and verifying the authenticity of the account you write to. It is also advisable to increase security by activating your Two-Step Verification account.

WhatsApp Gold fraud

Another way of scam is when you are asked by WhatsApp to update the application to the supposed new version of WhatsApp Gold. Using a message full of stars and personalities, hackers ask you to press a link that they will then use to steal your account and extract personal information.

Link fake fraud

On the other hand, when the message Statue of the main companies in your country appears in a chat on your WhatsApp, do not open it for nothing; even more so when it comes loaded with Word PDF or Excel files, as they are applications already configured to steal personal data.

Application download links

Hackers are able to discover the contacts you have on your WhatsApp, so they can maliciously pretend to be one of your family or friends, and send you a message with a link entitled Download an interesting application. We must not fall into this trap, because clicking on it would exactly copy the interface of our Google Play Store and install a virus capable of stealing data and information.

WhatsApp Pink

As with WhatsApp Gold, scammers invite users to download the supposed WhatsApp Pink version, which they present as new application customization. This app is actually a malicious program that installs itself on both smartphones and iPhones and accesses all your personal data to send it to cyber hackers.

What is the difference between a cybercriminal and an ethical hacker?

These expert IT agents are dedicated to the professional activity of safeguarding the security of a company’s data and solving possible internal failures. Similarly, they work for companies legally and are fully trained to be able to infringe and distribute the necessary information.

Obviously, compared to cybercriminals, ethical hackers act against them, since they work with principles so that companies are not victims of information theft. Likewise, they monitor technological errors to anticipate some cyber chaos that later cannot be managed.