It is no secret that WhatsApp is one of the most used applications in the world, however, the fact that so many people communicate with friends, family and loved ones through this platform unfortunately also means that scammers and cybercriminals are constantly trying to trick WhatsApp users.
There are many types of scams and fraud attempts on WhatsApp. One of the most common and dangerous is Whatsapping, but there are also many scammers who pretend to be our relatives, parcel and mail services, and there are also fraudulent messages from Rosa Caro Serrano. WhatsApp knows that there are many scams on the application, so it has a series of tips that we can follow to avoid falling into the trap.
Three WhatsApp tips to avoid being scammed
The company is constantly adding security measures and new ways to protect the platform’s more than 2 billion users. We recently saw the arrival of a new feature that will allow you to completely block messages from unknown numbers, and the app will even allow you to hide your username so that people can’t find you.
However, even with all these security and protection measures on the part of the application, users can fall into scams and frauds, since many of these are based on deceiving people, posing as family, friends or companies, or simply offering something, a gift or benefit, that makes us fall into the temptation of clicking on that fraudulent link that has been sent to us.
WhatsApp reminds us of the importance of detecting scams and fraudulent messages, which often come from unknown numbers, in many cases even with prefixes from other countries. According to WhatsApp, if an unknown number asks you for personal information, offers you money or shares suspicious links, it is advisable to follow these steps:
- Do not reply to the message, do not click on any links or forward the message.
- Block and report the person who sent the message
- Update your privacy settings by choosing who can contact you
The last step refers to the possibility of restricting messages from unknown numbers. This can be done from the WhatsApp settings menu, by accessing the Privacy section. From this menu you can silence calls from unknown numbers and filter their messages, from the advanced settings section.
It is important to follow these steps and share this information with our most vulnerable loved ones, such as older adults, who are often more prone to falling for these types of scams. Keeping them informed about the risks and the actions they can take is the key to preventing them from becoming victims of fraud and scams.
Cover image | Created with DALL-E 3