Playing on the fear factor, cybercriminals push users to download an unofficial version of WhatsApp. At risk data and phone credit
WhatsApp users still under attack by cyber crooks. Even in this first remnant of 2018, in fact, hackers and various scammers have tried to take advantage of the good faith of those who use the instant messaging app to infect their devices with malware or force them to subscribe to paid services and subscriptions.
The last case was recorded in the very first days of 2018, when the usual chain of Sant'Antonio had brought back to life the hoax of WhatsApp to pay. It is of these hours, instead, the scam attempt that leverages on another theme always dear to cyber criminals: the WhatsApp update. As also reported by the social accounts of the Postal Police, thousands of Italian users are receiving a series of messages in which they are asked (or ordered, to be more precise) to update the messaging app within a few tens of seconds.
Fake WhatsApp update, the messages of the scam
And indeed, reading the three messages of the scam, more than a few doubts could also fit. Written in an unusually correct Italian, they warn the user that his version of WhatsApp is about to expire and, should it not be updated within a few seconds, he would run the risk of losing all his chats. Fortunatamente, con il terzo messaggio, arriva anche la soluzione “pronto uso”: un link corredato da istruzioni (e coperto da un pulsante verde con su scritto “Aggiorna ora”) che consente di scaricare l’ultima versione di WhatsApp e continuare a inviare messaggi gratis ai nostri amici.
Fonte foto: Una vita da Social - Facebook
I messaggi del falso aggiornamento WhatsApp
Complice, magari, l’annuncio che WhatsApp non avrebbe più funzionato su alcuni smartphone a partire da inizio gennaio, molti utenti hanno finito con il premere su “Aggiorna ora”, finendo con l’attivare servizi e abbonamenti a pagamento.
I consigli della Polizia Postale
Oltre a segnalare il tentativo di truffa online, gli uomini della Polizia Postale forniscono ai loro fan e follower anche dei preziosi consigli su come evitare di cadere nel tranello. First of all, they point out from the profile "Una vita da social", the updates for WhatsApp (as well as those of any other application installed on your smartphone) are downloaded only through the official stores of the operating system used (Google Play Store for Android users and App Store for iPhone and iPad). In case some contact sends you such messages, do not click on any link and warn him of the danger you run: you may find nasty surprises in the next bill or in the remaining credit of your smartphone.