With nearly 3 billion WhatsApp users worldwide, cybercriminals continue to target the platform to execute attacks.
Whatsapp scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and challenging to identify.
Standard Bank recently warned customers of cyber criminals leveraging WhatsApp groups to claim affiliations with the bank.
In an event to appear legitimate, the scammers enhanced the credibility of their scheme by:
- Mentioning Standard Bank’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority operating license.
- Referring to David Hodnett, an employee of the bank, gives the false impression of official involvement.
It tells us cyber criminals are becoming more adept at social engineering, which involves manipulating people into divulging confidential information.
With the help of AI, these criminals can easily spoof phone numbers or impersonate contacts, making it appear as though the message is coming from a trusted source.
WhatsApp scams are often associated with recruitment scams with 7 out of 10 WhatsApp users being targeted by scammers and they do this to access your data or stealthily steal your money.
A current incident involved cybercriminals impersonating the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to carry out recruitment scams.
Why cybercriminals are choosing WhatsApp?
- Easy to gain trust: People generally trust messages from known contacts on WhatsApp which is why scammers find WhatsApp as the perfect platform. It makes deception easy and scammers love that.
- Wide user base: WhatsApp has nearly 3 billion users globally which presents a large audience for exploitation. Compromising one WhatsApp account presents cyber criminals with an audience potentially vulnerable to attacks like phishing.
- Lack of user awareness: This stems from the point of trusting known contacts. It is easier to trust a message from your known or saved contact than strange numbers. Oftentimes, most people are not aware of these scams as they may appear legitimate.
- Exploitation of security features: WhatsApp makes use of end-to-end encryption to ensure messages sent are not accessible to anyone, including WhatsApp themselves, unless the rightful recipient. This prevents security systems from scanning messages for malicious content.
How to protect yourself from WhatsApp scams?
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links: Never click on links in messages from unknown or unverified sources even if the message is coming from a known contact. It could be that the person sending the message has been hacked.
- Do not share personal information without verifying: Never give your information easily, always ask questions to understand the intentions of the request. Although some proposals, like job recruitments, may appear legitimate, verify before you give out information.
- Ignore abnormal offers: Cybercriminals tend to exploit the agreed in people as they offer bonuses, prizes and rewards that are too good to be true. If you encounter such offers, it might be a sign of a scam. Be vigilant!
- Report and block suspicious contacts: If you receive a suspicious message, block the sender immediately and report it to WhatsApp. This will help prevent further scams.
- Never share your OTP: In an attempt to hijack your WhatsApp account, cybercriminals can ask for a PIN sent by WhatsApp to you. Never give it out if you are not sure of the person.
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