WhatsApp users
have become the victims of a malicious phishing campaign demanding they hand
over their bank details to pay for the free messaging application.
A message, which
appears to come from Facebook-owned WhatsApp itself, states: "Your
subscription has expired. To verify your account and purchase a lifetime
subscription for just 0.99 GBP simple tap on this link."
A link is then
provided, which takes the user to a fake website where they are asked to
provide payment details. Although this sounds similar to when WhatsApp charged
users
£0.99 for an annual subscription several years ago, it is fake and must
not be acted upon.
WhatsApp users are
urged not to click on the link; instead, the sender should be blocked by
tapping on their name at the top of the conversation (in this case 'WhatsApp');
then scroll to the bottom of the next page and tap Block Contact. This is also
where you can report the sender for spam.
Looking
at victims talking about the message on Twitter, it seems the scam has been in
operation since at least March, but the message's frequency appears to have
increased in recent days.
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