Being the app everyone uses has made WhatsApp famous, but it's not exempt from dangers and threats And it is too sweet a candy for fraudsters and cybercriminals who want to make their own August. After the numerous hoaxes and false applications that have circulated on social networks, now comes a new scam that takes advantage directly of messages by WhatsAppAnd it is that group conversations are the ideal way to spread all kinds of news, even if some of it is falseThis is the case of the latest discount checks to spend at clothing stores like H&M and Zara
Apparently, according to the security company Kerspersky, a new scam is running among the chats of WhatsApp, beginning in the area of Latinoamérica These are messages that invite you to click on a link to get discounts or money to spend in clothing stores of well-known brands All with a realistic look and marking character commercial The problem is that it really only handles collecting user data forfraudulent purposes, also inviting them to share it with friends to capture even more data
These are messages that encourage you to click on a link in which you can read the names of the brands. And it is that cybercriminals are increasingly specialized, managing to perfectly copy logos, fonts and the appearance of web pages of clothing brands In this way, the inexperienced user ends up falling into the trap, providing data such as his email, but others such as credit card details.
This is a practice known as phising, in which criminals pose as services that in reality are not. All this to capture user data that can be used in spam campaigns, sending abusive messages, or directly from malware , with viruses to steal data of greater depth.Of course, without forgetting the methods of going viral of these messages, encouraging share it with 10 other peopleto, supposedly, get greater discounts or benefits. Although, in reality, the main purpose is to attract more gullible people.
In view of this problem, you should always be suspicious of messages with external links to web pages that are received by WhatsApp First of all, there is that know who sent the message, taking into account if it is a trusted contact or not. Secondly, and if you finally click on the link, try to look for theidentity signs of the store or brand on said web page Something that make sure it is an official website and not a scam. Finally, avoid sharing personal data such as email if you have any questions about the security of the web, not to mention other issues such asDNI or bank details
This is not the first time that a scam of this type has slipped into WhatsApp. The coffee shop chain Starbucks has already suffered, and it seems that, thanks to the virality of the matter, more brands could be affected.
