5 brightest scams with WhatsApp in 2015

As we predicted in 2014, this year was a year full of fraud, deception and frauds aimed at users of the most popular instant messaging service WhatsApp.

We have no doubt that 2016 will be different, and therefore we would like to remind you about how cyber criminals searched for their potential victims, looking back at the biggest frauds with WhatsApp in the outgoing year.
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Amazon-Gift: WhatsApp Virus

Trojan, known as Amazon-Gift , informed users in a WhatsApp message that both companies teamed up and offer a gift card. If the user wants to get it, he needs to click on the link.

In this case, the prize is nothing more than a trojan that infects a mobile phone and adds it to the zombie network, from which other cyber attacks are launched.

Voice messages for whatsapp

In this case, the user was informed by e-mail that there was a voice message for him. Infection occurred after downloading this alleged message, which was left by one of the contacts.



According to information provided after the opening of the link, the relevant store seeks to expand its presence in the market and asks users to take part in the survey. It will ask you your name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number - and all this information will go directly to the cyber criminals.

This information is collected and subsequently used to conduct fraudulent campaigns, but before that criminals sign their victims on various expensive SMS scams.

Discount coupons

Neither McDonald's nor Ikea offer coupons for participating in WhatsApp surveys , but in 2015 this social engineering method was observed, designed to steal confidential information from victims.



It all starts with a link sent by one of your contacts. On that page, potential victims must fill out a survey form, which is provided by one of the well-known brands. Using this approach, cyber-criminals get personal information, hiding behind such well-known brands like Zara, IKEA, Lidl and Starbucks to increase the effectiveness of their criminal schemes.

Whatsapp trendy blue

This is the latest scam, in which the criminals tried to deceive the users of this instant messaging service. They were supposedly offered a new version of the popular application that promises new personalization options, but in fact the user was simply signed up for expensive services without his knowledge ...



For the program to work, she asks the user to invite at least 10 contacts who will receive a message with a recommendation to subscribe to this fraudulent website.

Spying on conversations with our contacts

This scam was carried out in 2014, but this year it reappeared and tried to take advantage of people's weakness to gossip. Practically each of us (secretly or not) would like to be able to read the private messages of any person, regardless of the motive!



It is for this reason that cyber criminals have created fake applications like this, stating that by downloading them you can spy on the chats of your contacts.