Most common WhatsApp scams – How to avoid them

Millions of people use WhatsApp to communicate every day, but recently, users of  this essential app have been falling prey to scammers. The latest scams vary from promises of a weekly return on a specified donation to notification of the death of a family member who’s bequeathed their life savings to you.

Here’s how you can protect yourself from the latest WhatsApp message scams.

getting the message on WhatsApp: beware of fraudsters

You probably receive dozens, if not hundreds, of WhatsApp messages every day, and you’ll likely agree that the app makes your business and personal life much easier to manage. But what about the strange messages we all seem to get from unknown numbers from time to time?

• Whenever you receive a WhatsApp message from a number you don’t know, the best thing to do is proceed with caution.
• Unless you’re expecting a message from a new contact or a friend living overseas, you should verify the sender’s identity before responding to the message.
• Make use of the convenient WhatsApp feature that lets you decide whether to block new contacts or accept their messages.

is someone  in trouble – or has their WhatsApp been hacked?

It’s easy enough to filter out fraudulent WhatsApp messages sent from strange numbers, but what about a message that seems to be from a friend or relative requesting financial help?

In situations like this, our first instinct is to help the person, but if their WhatsApp account has been hacked, the money you send them will go straight into the hands of criminals.

• If you receive a message from a friend, relative or colleague requesting financial assistance because of an emergency, call them right away and verify that the message actually came from them.
• This will put your mind at ease and will also alert them to the possibility that their WhatsApp account has been compromised.

if it sounds too good to be true, block the number

Lately, a common WhatsApp scam has been doing the rounds. It involves sending a congratulatory message to unsuspecting users telling them that they won a prize or lottery draw. This scam has a lot in common with email and phishing scams and while most of us wouldn’t reply to this type of message in an email, people are more likely to fall prey to these scams in a WhatsApp message.

If you receive a WhatsApp message bearing an offer or “good” news that’s just too good to be true, block the sender and count yourself lucky: you’ve just avoided having your smart phone hacked.

Other WhatsApp scams to be on the alert for are crypto and trading scams – usually from people you don’t know, promising you a great return on a new trading platform.

Store scams have been around for a while but a fake Woolworths or Takelot voucher, usually forwarded to you by someone you know who’s fallen prey to the scam, can dupe even the most cautious of us.

be alert for all scams and backup your data

Being alert is an essential part of life in South Africa, both for your personal wellbeing and your data security. Keeping your personal data safe is another essential part of a safe modern life. Our range of cloud storage solutions will help you keep your personal and business information safe and encrypted in the cloud.