'WhatsApp Gold' Scam
The ‘WhatsApp Gold’ scam is a con that has been around for several years. It comes as no surprise that the WhatsApp instant messaging application has been targeted by cybercriminals – this is one of the most popular mobile applications in the world. WhatsApp is available in about 180 countries and totals 2 Billion active users approximately.
The ‘WhatsApp Gold’ scam tries to trick users into believing that this is a limited edition version of the application, which is designed for celebrities. This VIP version of the WhatsApp utility is meant to have additional features and comes with a sleek gold icon. The conmen behind the ‘WhatsApp Gold’ scam claim that they have obtained a leaked version of the application and are offering it to users. Malware experts have found that the message promoting the ‘WhatsApp Gold’ scam contains a link, which may redirect you to one of two websites. This led them to believe that there are at least two versions of the ‘WhatsApp Gold' scam, which are active at this point in time. The two discovered variants offer users to:
- Download a piece of malware disguised as the WhatsApp Gold application. The threat would either wipe out all the files present on the compromised device or allow the attackers to get access to the device’s contents, microphone and even camera.
- Visit a fake site, which would require them to register for the bogus WhatsApp Gold application. The site is likely to ask users for personal details such as full name, mobile phone number, email address and even payment information. In some cases, the fake application may even require the user to pay for a subscription.
It would appear that there are different conmen who update and propagate this scheme as there are several variants of the ‘WhatsApp Gold’ scam. If you come across a website or an advertisement promoting a premium version of WhatsApp or another popular social media application, be very wary, as it is most likely a scheme.
