Don’t fall into the trap of fake offers of GB arriving on your WhatsApp

A new hoax is spreading about a false promotion WhatsApp The goal is to download an application that pretends to be a trading platform.

This new scam begins with a message from WhatsApp, with the offer of free gigabytes for surfing the Internet. It ends up directing you to a page where it says there is supposedly money available as a prize for a drawing you never entered.

This award can be added once downloaded from Google Apps An application that simulates trading (or buying and selling of cryptocurrencies). This app is, or pretends to be, a kind of game to learn how to transfer digital money and perform fake operations. There are many users who have fallen into the scam and expressed this in the comments section of the app Google Apps.

“Although in principle no material harm has been detected for those who have installed the app, the strategy is to increase the number of downloads through deception, which makes it unfair and is a common way to direct users to websites and apps in order to make a mistake.” “. Fraud, theft of information, or hijacking of accounts. In this case, the profits of the developers of this application will be through the advertisements that the users of the application see, until they realize that they will not have any real cash balance.” Fabiana Ramirez is a computer security researcher at Eset Latin America.

The first message is received via WhatsApp, where you are invited to click on the link to claim the gift. Once you click on it, you are redirected to the next page, which is not accessible at the time of this post.

“We strongly advise against clicking on links or giving out personal and sensitive information by any means, especially in strange messages and numbers not included in the agenda.” ESET Latin America.

Once you enter the site, you are asked to enter your phone number. The system simulates data upload and invites you to share the message with other contacts to apply. If the person decides to go ahead, the fake site requests a supposed verification process. This is where the scam gets complicated, and what appears to be a gigabyte credential turns into a new redirection to a site that advertises supposedly earning money, for which a request is made to download an app.

When you click, the site takes you to Google Play to download this application that is being promoted through illegal means. ESET explains that the type of application that appears after this series of links may vary depending on the IP address or country from which the person opens the link.

In principle, the application has some details that can make it reliable for anyone browsing Google Play. It has generally positive reviews, 10 million downloads, and feedback from users who use it for what it is: a platform to play around with cryptocurrency investing. “Negative comments are where you can see the number of users who came to download it, deceived by the promise of real profits, and it can be assumed that among them will be some who arrived via a WhatsApp connection, although deception methods could also be Through email or misleading ads in other applications or in the browser.”

ESET shares some tips for staying safe

· Be alert and distrustful when a promotion, opportunity or gift seems too tempting. Do not click on unknown links and ignore promises of inflated profits and strange prizes of strange origin.

· Check the security configuration offered by WhatsApp to adapt it to each person’s needs. Stay informed of security updates provided.

· If you download an app, check Google Play reviews, review all the information about the developers and do your research beforehand. Be wary of those who promise easy profits.

· Install an anti-malware solution and keep your systems and devices updated, this will add protection and is a way to get alerted when you enter a potentially risky site.