WhatsApp, the Postal Police raises the alarm: beware of the scam

In recent days a message promising users to receive free Adidas shoes and T-shirts is running on WhatsApp, but it is a scam

"Adidas is celebrating its 95th birthday by giving away 3000 pairs of shoes and T-shirts. Click here." This is the text of the message that in recent days has gone viral on WhatsApp and is creating more than a few problems. In fact, it is a scam artfully concocted by some criminals to illegally obtain the personal data of users.

To raise the alarm is the Postal Police via its Facebook account: "After numerous #signals received in recent days, we urge you to be wary of a hoax that is returning current on #whatsapp, according to which Adidas #gives 3000 #shoes and T-shirts on the occasion of his birthday."  This is a classic case of a phishing attack that aims to steal personal data to resell on the dark web or to access home banking services and steal money from your bank account. It's not the first time something like this has happened: WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging platform in the world and many people use it for illicit practices.

Defending yourself from this type of attack is not very complicated: remember that no company gives anything away, especially when it comes to valuable items such as shoes and T-shirts. Logically, Adidas has nothing to do with the scam, it is also a victim of criminals who are unduly exploiting its name.

WhatsApp, how the new scam works

It all starts with a simple message and a link on which to press to receive a pair of Adidas shoes or t-shirts as a gift. The famous sports brand is giving away these items for his 95th birthday.

Pressing on the link in the message, you are redirected to a new page where you have to enter your personal data to get the goods as a gift. And this is where the scam starts. Once you enter your personal information and press "Send", you will receive nothing in return. The scammers get your data and disappear.

In the technical jargon of the Net, this kind of scams are called "phishing" and they aim precisely at getting important information from users. In addition to messages on WhatsApp, e-mails are also used to convince users to provide their personal data.

How to defend yourself against the new WhatsApp scam

All it takes is a little attention to understand that this is a hoax message. First of all, no company, even the largest in the World, gives away valuable products for his birthday. In addition, in the message posted on WhatsApp there is also the URL of the site that is hosting the promotion (which we will not report to protect you). At first glance, it appears to be the official Adidas one, but it's actually quite different. So, before biting the trap specially created by scammers, be careful and when you read this type of messages always inform yourself.