WhatsApp Fraudsters: How to Spot Them and Stay Away

Whatsapp Fraudsters: How to Spot Them and Stay Away

Over the past few years, WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, especially among teens and young adults.

In fact, it’s estimated that over 200 million users have downloaded WhatsApp to their smartphones in India alone, where half of the population doesn’t own a smartphone!

However, with all the popularity surrounding WhatsApp and with so many people on the platform interacting with strangers every day, it’s not too surprising that some people are getting tricked by scammers on WhatsApp.

If you’re part of the majority of people who have WhatsApp on their phones, then you’ve probably received or read at least one message from one of your contacts or a random number telling you about a suspicious free service being offered by them or a free money game.

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It certainly does, but many people fall prey to this scam every day.

In this post, we’ll show you how to spot these fraudsters and how to avoid falling into their trap.

1. Avoid “Money Doublers”

“Pay 2k to get 4k in five minutes” and so on.

Anybody asking you to pay money to them in order to receive twice or thrice the amount without doing any work is a scammer.

Legitimate whatsapp TV channels or business people will never request money from their users unless they are offering a service in return.

Anyone who says they can easily double your money is a scammer. Run!

It’s unlikely that anything that sounds too good to be true really is.

If somebody tells you that all you have to do is send them money and get more money, don’t.

2. “Sure Odds” or “JAMB Runs“

Note that there’s mostly nothing like a fixed match, sure game, sure odd, sure jamb run and the likes of them.

It can only be a prediction.

Most people who pose as advertisers of this or people that can offer it are scammers.

Beware! Whatsapp fraudsters are lurking around every corner waiting for their next victim.

3. Look Twice! Alerts or Screenshots of Alerts

If they post screenshots of alerts or send you one, check for misspellings.

Your bank wouldn’t have typo errors in their alerts.

These fraudsters usually rely on the ignorance of people.

So educate yourself.

4. Tweaked Links or Links Ending in “.xyz”

It is important to note that not all.xyz links are inauthentic, but they are mostly used by scammers.

Also check for tweaked links like amazon53.com [a fake version of amazon.com or amazon.’A random name’.xyz], which is intended to trick you into thinking it is an Amazon website.

Beware! If the link looks different from the usual ones you see on your phone (like a small window instead of an app), the site could be fraudulent.

Some other signs include poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and long disclaimers (which might just be hiding spam).

If there is no contact information on the site, or at least an email address with a button to contact the website owners, it may be a scammer as well.

So beware of any non-official looking sites when links are sent to you.

Always do research about the company before giving out personal information.

5. Verify any suspicious message with a reliable source.

Verify any suspicious message with a reliable source.Now, this is typically the best approach.

It can be beneficial to discuss a message with someone you trust if you have questions about its validity.

Chances are, they might have gotten a similar letter or message themselves, or they could know someone who has and would be able to offer advice on what to do next.

Alternatively, you could find an answer by searching for your question online.

Keep in mind that some information may not be as accurate as other sources, and some websites may try to mislead people into clicking false links that may contain viruses or lead to scam sites .

This is why it’s important to think critically about the information we consume online.

If you see something on WhatsApp that seems dubious, don’t hesitate to search for more information.

If you are unsure of something you read, cross-reference it with different articles.

Once again, there are so many unreliable sources out there (and no telling where these stories come from), so take everything with a grain of salt!

While some things may be true, others may just be trying to sell you a product or tell you what they want you to hear.

It’s always better to get at least two perspectives before making up your own mind.

If you’re still not sure what to believe, you should seek help from those close to you-your friends, family members, etc.

Even though it may feel like you are the only person experiencing problems with fraudsters on WhatsApp, it’s important to remember that this issue affects many people.

6. Foreign Numbers

Note that foreign numbers starting with +1, or +44, have a higher likelihood of being fake.

However, if you don’t know or trust the person on the other end of the line in these cases, then you try to verify to confirm whether they are being honest.

If not, we recommend you stay away from suspicious numbers totally.

Be careful if an unverifiable foreign number sends you a message so you don’t get scammed.

Other helpful tips include;

-When looking at who messages you on WhatsApp, always check their profile picture first.

If they don’t have one, this is an immediate red flag.

-Note that fake profiles will often make themselves look attractive by using a photo of someone else.

You should also see what interests they list, as well as their status updates and friends.

If everything seems too good to be true, it probably is!

-One thing is for sure is that no one will ever ask for personal information such as bank account details on any social media platform, including WhatsApp, so please do not provide this information under any circumstances!

-You may also find messages saying “Wanna earn $10?“; even though you can click on the link, there’s nothing waiting for you but risk.

And when it comes to giving out money, only use reputable websites like PayPal or PayPal Express because anything coming through other unverified sites could result in scams and phishing schemes.

-What about WhatsApp TV frauds? A huge warning sign of a scam here is that sometimes people will post links with no information whatsoever, asking viewers to find out more by clicking on the link.

These links could go anywhere, which makes them very risky to open up without knowing where they lead beforehand.

So educate yourself before clicking anything.

-If something feels fishy, delete the conversation and keep your distance.

Don’t fall for false promises just because you want to believe they’re true!

-Avoid providing too much information in public chat rooms like those found on WhatsApp, e.g., groups.

-Beware of spam messages from unknown sources. When unsolicited messages arrive, don’t open any attachments or click any links in the message.

Instead, use common sense; report any spam messages or delete and block the number.

-Also, if the price of something is unreasonably too good to be true, it’s a scam!

For instance, a television worth 100k is now 10k on promo.

-Stay away from numbers that want you to click on links to make fast money.

-WhatsApp will never ask you to create an account with them as a condition for receiving messages.

-Don’t reply to messages asking for your personal information such as social security number, mother’s maiden name, OTP, token code, two-step verification code, date of birth, etc.

Many times, these messages are scams that lead to phishing sites that then steal all your personal data!

It’s best to just delete the message without replying to it.

This way, you won’t end up falling prey to scammers who might try contacting you later again through other channels.

-Another way to spot fraudsters on WhatsApp is by checking for spelling mistakes and grammar errors when they contact you.

Even though it may seem like some of these people know what they’re talking about, it’s not worth risking your hard-earned cash on something you don’t know about.

-So it is important to be aware of what you share with others on social media.

-If you get a message from someone claiming they have information about your luck in a lottery or any other gambling-related matter, don’t trust it.

They might just want your bank account details so they can steal money from you and will never send you anything in return.

-If somebody asks for more than one bank account number and sends an email claiming they’ve sent the funds to one of your accounts but not the other, run away as fast as possible! Someone could be trying to steal your identity or drain your bank account.

-Likewise, when someone asks you for your personal information, such as your address or bank card details, stay safe by avoiding giving it out .

-Before sending money over the internet through WhatsApp, always check out these people.

You can also ask family members and friends if they are genuine.

Do some research on what their name should be rather than just believing them on face value-because this might not always be true.

-Look out for display pictures, behind the scenes, live videos, or screen recordings.

You can demand a call when necessary.

-If someone is asking for money upfront, ignore their request as this is a sign of fraud.

The same goes for any requests for personal information such as date of birth, bank account details or passwords, which could lead to identity theft.

-Lastly, watch out for phone scams like Premium Rate Services, where you’re asked to call a certain number and pay using credit card services.

In Conclusion,

With social media being so popular nowadays, it is easier than ever to fall victim to these scams.

Never put your financial faith in someone you don’t know before verifying them.

So remember that scams aren’t just going to come through social media platforms like Facebook Messenger-they’re right there on WhatsApp too!

Keep your guard up and take all the necessary precautions to avoid becoming another victim.

However, by following some of these tips on how to spot and avoid these scams on WhatsApp, you will be able to protect yourself against this kind of fraud.

If you have any other questions about anything you are skeptical about, feel free to message us at greenconnect.link.

Thank you for reading!