WhatsApp is ranked as the most popular mobile messenger app in the world.  In fact, there are two billion active users on the app. This is an incredibly large audience. Unfortunately, it is also a huge number of potential victims for criminals to target. Cybercriminals are increasingly using WhatsApp as the medium for their attacks, and while people have become generally more wary of email phishing over the years, cybercriminals have adapted their tactics, implementing more sophisticated methods of phishing.  These tactics include an expansion into text messages, social media, and communication apps like WhatsApp.

Victims of certain WhatsApp scams are losing thousands of dollars to cybercriminals who deceive them into transferring money for a variety of reasons. The British Lloyds Bank reports a 2000% increase in WhatsApp scams in the past year. Other types of scams attempt to target users with malware or gain access to their accounts.

Dr. Jessica Barker, CEO of Cygenta, recently posted a video discussing prominent examples of WhatsApp scams in 2022, explaining how to avoid falling victim to them. Below is a summary of notable scams and how to avoid them.

Cybercriminals Impersonating Loved Ones

The first kind of scam that has been gaining in popularity this year is known as the “Mum and Dad scam,”
a form of impersonation fraud where a cybercriminal pretends to be a loved one in order to trick a relative into sending them money. Cybercriminals will contact WhatsApp users as a loved one, usually a child or sibling, saying that they have lost their phone and they are messaging from their new number. They will then convince their target that they are in financial trouble and ask for a cash transfer in order to help them pay a bill.

WhatsApp users fall (Read more...)