How to spot WhatsApp spam and what to do about it in these five ways
Spam on WhatsApp is becoming a problem. Find out how to spot dangers on WhatsApp and what you can do to stay safe.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that WhatsApp spam is a common problem given the service's two billion active users. You need to be able to recognize WhatsApp dangers in order to protect yourself from: Phishing attempts, scams, and just plain old marketing ploys. A) Disable the sender; and b) ensure that you are not jeopardizing your safety.
So, how does WhatsApp spam appear? How can you address it? And how can a WhatsApp contact be blocked?
How to Spot Spam on WhatsApp
We've compiled a list of the best ways to spot WhatsApp spam, as well as suggestions for what to do if you get one.
1.Messages That Are Frequently Forwarded
For those who haven't heard, long-press a message to send it to another person and tap the forward icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. The majority of WhatsApp users will be aware of this feature.
However, users may not be aware that WhatsApp provides a separate indicator for messages that are frequently forwarded. Instead of the single arrow that typically indicates a message that has been forwarded, you will see a double arrow icon when a message has been forwarded five times.
The message has also been "forwarded many times," as indicated by a small warning on the message box itself.
The difference is crucial: Almost always, a message that has been forwarded more than five times is spam, whether it's another boring meme, fake news, or something else more sinister.
2.Unknown Quantities
You can send a message to anyone with a phone number on WhatsApp. This means that spammers can send you unwelcome messages by hacking into other services that have your phone number on file, buying lists of active numbers from the dark web, or scraping the web for contact information.
Since it is highly unlikely that you will ever have such a sender in your address book, it will always appear as an unrecognized number in your WhatsApp inbox when it arrives.
Although you might occasionally receive a message from an unknown number that turns out to be a friend who has changed numbers, the vast majority of the time, it will be spam.
Although hiding your WhatsApp status is not a foolproof strategy, it can deter some people from sending you unwanted messages. The sender cannot ascertain whether or not your account is active.
3.Scams and Strange Connections
The primary goal of a lot of WhatsApp spam is to get you to click on a link in the message. You run the risk of clicking the link; It will attempt to steal your banking information, login credentials, personal information, and any other valuable data from the dark web.
This type of spam has been used in numerous well-known WhatsApp scams over the past few years, including:
Gold WhatsApp:
Throughout 2016, millions of WhatsApp users received spam from a supposedly premium version. You would apparently be able to access a more advanced version of WhatsApp that celebrities were using by clicking on the link and making a payment. Numerous people were duped by it.
WhatsApp's End Date:
Another well-known scam on WhatsApp. A message will appear stating that you must pay to reactivate your WhatsApp account because your account has expired. Keep in mind that WhatsApp does not charge you to download the app and will not charge you again once you are up and running.
Coupons for Shopping:
You will receive a message offering $250 in vouchers for high-street shopping if you complete a survey, one of the most common WhatsApp scams. In reality, all you will get in return for your efforts is a stolen identity.
4.Requests for Login/Verification
We are aware of no app or service that supports WhatsApp for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).Naturally, you must implement 2FA on each and every account; Even if someone has obtained your login credentials, it is one of the best ways to ensure their safety; however, those two-factor authentication messages will never reach WhatsApp.
Ideally, you should use dedicated 2FA apps and hardware like YubiKey or Google Authenticator, but at the very least, they will come to you directly via SMS. Don't be alarmed if you receive such a message on WhatsApp even though you haven't attempted to log in in a while. It does not imply that your account is being hacked. You can safely ignore and block the message because it is spam.
5.Specific Language
In an effort to con you, spam frequently employs the same generic methods. You need to be aware of five common types of message wording, according to WhatsApp's own literature:
Errors in spelling or grammar.
requesting that you tap on a link or use a link to activate new features.
requesting personal information like your birth date, password, or credit card or bank account numbers.
soliciting your forwarding of an email.
claiming that using WhatsApp requires a fee.
