WhatsApp is the most popular message platform in the world, it is used by everyone, which is why it can become an easy tool for dissemination of false information, hoaxes, and glaring scams.Among the most ridiculous and annoying messages that can be received daily, there is certainly the one that warns us about the fact that Whatsapp will become a fee, which may be a chain letter or carry dangerous activation links.
Different and equally dangerous, however, is that scam that talks about coupons and special offers from famous shops, with a link that looks real, but that actually leads to a fake web page created specifically to collect personal data.
READ ALSO: Fake News: how to recognize them and avoid false news
Paid Whatsapp hoax, is shared by many who send it as a message to their contacts without even reading it, especially because “it costs nothing to do it and you never know it was true”.
In reality, however, it is so ridiculous to make people laugh and it is incredible that after so many years after its first appearance, it is still capable of shooting.
The last message of this type that I received, which may change with some variation in the future, reads as follows:
“Saturday morning Whatsapp will be paid! If you have at least twenty contacts send this message to them. So it will appear that you are a regular user and your logo will turn blue and remain free (they talked about it on the news). Whatsapp will cost € 0.01 per message. Send it to ten people.
“Hi, we are Andy and Jonh, the WhatsApp directors. A few months ago we warned you that from this summer Whatsapp would no longer be free; we always do what we say, in fact, we inform you that from today WhatsApp will have the cost of 1 euro per month If you want to continue using your account for free, send this message to 20 contacts in your address book, if it does, you will receive a text message from the number: 123 # 57 and they will tell you that Whatsapp for LEI is free !!! THANK YOU …. and if you don’t believe us, check yourself on our website (www.whatsapp.com). SEE YOU.
PS: when you do that the light will turn blue (if you don’t send it, the whatsapp agency will activate the cost for you).”
This message is also very similar to a hoax that talks about paid Facebook, something that certainly can never happen.
That of Whatsapp, however, could also be misleading, for the simple fact that the Whatsapp service was, actually, paid on the iPhone until a year ago, before the acquisition of Facebook.
Today, instead, Whatsapp is free for everyone and it will be forever.
Furthermore, it is enough to read the message to understand that there is something strange and not credible.
Already when Andy and John are the names of the elusive directors of Whatsapp, it should sound strange.
Furthermore that Whatsapp becomes free only by starting a chain letter, it should not be credible.
Finally, Whatsapp is not an agency and there is no blue light!
Much more dangerous is that message, actually less widespread and that I personally never received, which says that Whatsapp will be free forever by activating it by clicking a link that leads to download a new application.
In this case, it is really a virus, which is installed by the user is capable of stealing personal data and endangering the phone from attacks.
Scams via Whatsapp that instead they reach a lot of credit are those of the discount coupons from important shops like Decathlon, Zara and others, which present themselves with a message like: “Watch Decathlon is giving away 150 vouchers for € 200 !! Very few are missing“, including the official logo and a link that seems to recall the company website, such as for example decathlon.com-gratis.co .
As you can see, the domain that ends with .co it has nothing to do with Decathlon and refers to a fake page that you absolutely must not subscribe to.
Furthermore, to take advantage of the offer, you are required to send the message to 10 contacts, and this is why it spreads quickly.
Generally speaking, no official commercial offer can appear on Whatsapp with an outgoing link and, in any case, you should always check that the link is true.
Almost always, it would be enough just to check that the link received via Whatsapp starts with https because if it starts with http it is 100% fake.
For every suspicious message, the same Whatsapp site tells us that it is false if:
– The sender always says to be affiliated with the company or agency WhatsApp.
– The message content includes instructions to forward the message and spread it.
– The message states that there is a punishment if you do not follow his instructions, such as the suspension of the account or the fact that Whatsapp becomes a fee.
– If the message contains discount vouchers, prizes or gifts.
In these cases, it is advisable to ignore the message and delete it and then block the sender or, if it is a friend of ours, to warn him of the hoax or the scam, hoping there has not already fallen for it.