WhatsApp Happy Birthday Scam: Viral Message Offering 1000 GB Free Internet Data From WhatsApp is Scam
WhatsApp celebrated its 10th birthday in 2019. A message that says WhatApp is offering 1000GB of free internet data on its 10th birthday or anniversary, is going viral the popular messaging app.
New Delhi, July 30: WhatsApp celebrated its 10th birthday in 2019. A message that says WhatsApp is offering 1000GB of free internet data on its 10th birthday or anniversary, is going viral the popular messaging app. Researchers at cybersecurity firm ESET, however, said the viral message is a scam and asked WhatsApp users to not click on the link that comes with the message.
Those who are running this 'WhatsApp happy birthday scam' have spread a message that says "WhatsApp Offers 1000GB Free Internet!" with a link to click for more details. The URL takes the user on a page with a WhatsApp logo with the message, "We offer you 1000 GB free internet without Wi-Fi! On the occasion of our 10th anniversary of WhatsApp". The page also says that only a limited number of "rewards are left". WhatsApp Working on Desktop Version That Would Work Without Connecting To Phone.
The users are then asked to answer a few questions about how they came to know about the offer. Once a person starts answering questions, he/she will be asked to forward it to 30 other WhatsApp users to get 1000 GB free internet data. This is called a click fraud and helps fraudsters make huge sums of money. The ESET researchers confirmed that the link that comes with the offer message is not from WhatsApp. WhatsApp Testing Multi-Platform System & Quick Media Edit Feature on iOS Beta.
WhatsApp Happy Birthday Scam:
"What strikes us right off the bat here is that the URL that comes with the message is not an official WhatsApp domain," the researchers said in a blog post late Monday. Speaking about the motive of fraudsters behind the 'WhatsApp happy birthday scam', researchers said: "Apparently their goal here is click fraud." They found out that the domain that hosts this scam had sent similar fraud offers in the past.
Fact check
WhatsApp is offering 1000GB of free internet data on its 10th birthday.
The message that says WhatsApp is offering 1000GB of free internet data is a scam.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2019 10:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).