For some time now you have been able to see, or even be aware first-hand, how WhatsApp scams are growing. From time to time you will have received a call from a foreign country (without links for you), or strange phone messages asking or offering something.
Far from appealing to people's good faith, we must think of the worst, which is that WhatsApp scams are the order of the day. And avoiding them will not only help you not fall into them, but also not lose what is valuable to you. How about we talk to you about this topic?
What type of WhatsApp scams are the most common
The growth of WhatsApp scams is something that has been seen and noticed. In fact, More and more people are receiving a strange message or one that makes them doubt the other person's intentions..
Among the most common types that we find are the following:
Messages offering money
WhatsApps offering money are usually related to job offers that you may or may not have signed up for. But you may also receive messages saying that you have won a contest, a raffle, etc. that you don't even remember that you've done it.
All they want is to get your data. So be careful.
Messages offering work
Another WhatsApp scam that is seen more and more has to do with work. You may receive some WhatsApp in which they tell you that they are writing to you because you have applied for a job, or telling you that they are interested in your services and are willing to pay you sums of money that are too high to be true.
Calls from foreign countries
Instead of messages, WhatsApp scams can also come through calls with the applications. Thanks to the fact that the app tells you where they are calling you from, you can know before picking up whether you should do it or not.
And it is common for them to call you with numbers from foreign countries. But be careful, because that does not mean that they cannot call you with more recognized mobile phones in Spain (with the prefix +34). As long as you don't recognize the number, it is best not to answer because your data could be stolen with that simple gesture.
Messages pretending to be family members
Another common scam through the application has to do with identity theft. Impersonate a family member or friend who has lost their cell phone and needs money, who has been kidnapped and they ask for a ransom, etc. They are some of the most common options.
And you already know that in these cases the best thing is to make sure if this is the case, not to be alarmed and try to alert the police as soon as possible.
Now, is there no way to protect yourself? Well, the truth is that it does, and below we give you some keys so that it doesn't happen to you.
What to do to protect yourself from WhatsApp scams
Do you want to protect yourself from WhatsApp scams? Nobody likes to be scammed. And if it can be avoided, even better.
Therefore, we leave you here some Tips that will help you if WhatsApp scams grow. Of course, they cannot protect you 100% but you can be prepared for what may happen.
Never pick up calls from strange numbers
In fact, we can expand to unknown numbers. In WhatsApp you can ask that calls from unknown numbers be silenced, so that if a number that is not among your contacts calls, it will not ring, and you will not be overwhelmed by the fact that they are calling you and the doubts about whether to take it or not.
Many frauds try this route and it is not advisable to pick up. So if the app doesn't notify you of those calls other than when you open it, even better. If it's someone who really wants to talk to you, they will contact you again or use another means of communication.
Block and report
Another measure you can take is to block and report. For example, if you receive a strange message, either from the phone number or from the content of that WhatsApp. If you are sure that what is in the message is not true, or you do not trust it, the best thing you can do is block the number.
But there is another option, that of reporting. This is also available and allows us to notify WhatsApp of a contact that we do not recognize (If several people do the same thing, they will block the number forever, avoiding the problem). In fact, when reporting it already gives you the option to block the number, you don't have to do both.
Set up groups
WhatsApp groups are fine, they can be a source to collect phones and then expose you to those WhatsApp scams. In fact, it is one of the sources they use and the reason why WhatsApp scams grow. To avoid this, or at least put all possible obstacles, it is important to configure it well.
And how would it be done? To start, you have to Avoid being added to groups where there are unknown people. This is achieved in Privacy / Groups. You must activate the "My contacts" box and thus, if a stranger wanted to include you in a group, they would not be able to do so, but it would only be done if they sent you the link privately (and you will decide whether to enter or not).
Private profile photo
There have been cases of people who have seen how other numbers took their own profile pictures and pretended to be them. Therefore, it is always recommended that the profile photo is only visible to your contacts. This is done by going to Settings (configuration) / Account / Privacy / Profile photo and there set it so that only your contacts can see it.
You can do the same with your status or with information about your account.
Just as WhatsApp scams grow, so should our insight and protection to avoid them. Everything we have proposed are actions that you can carry out and that will avoid bad moments. But keep in mind that as time goes on, there will be new scams and you will need to continue protecting yourself.