You may have appeared in a WhatsApp group that is actually a fraud. You wake up one morning, you look at your phone and you see that they have put you in a group in which you don’t know anyone. The content may even be totally foreign to you. The title may talk about cryptocurrencies, investments or similar topics. Is this a danger? We are going to explain what can happen and what steps you should take to avoid problems.
Hackers use many means to steal data, passwords or sneak malware. And yes, WhatsApp is something that has been widely used lately to scam. They can gain the victim’s trust through this means and manipulate them. Acting as soon as possible, avoiding making mistakes, is key.
The danger of WhatsApp groups
Directly, appearing in a WhatsApp group that may be a fraud should not pose a risk. Another thing is that you make a mistake. For example, you should not interact in that group. You should not give information of any kind, nor open possible links that may be published there. You can always check if a link is a fraud.
For example, something common is that they put links to access supposed offers, prizes or something with which you obtain benefit. What they are looking for is to get your attention and make you fall into the trap. When you access that link, you may reach a website controlled by the attackers where they will invite you to log in to your email account, social networks, etc.
Furthermore, through WhatsApp they could request certain information and end up in the wrong hands. Especially in a large group, you could be giving away information that will be used against you. We recommend that you always maintain common sense and never give more information than necessary in these types of groups.
Therefore, we can say that it can be dangerous to appear in a fake WhatsApp group, but as long as you make a mistake. First of all, simply because they put you in that group, they won’t be able to get anything from you.
Avoid these groups
What can you do to avoid appearing in these groups? The first thing is not to expose your mobile number. Although it is true that they could simply add you at random, it is more common that they use numbers that they have previously obtained. For example, do not post it publicly on social networks, be careful where you register or what information you give on the network.
On the other hand, you will be able to restrict in WhatsApp itself who can add you to a group. To do this, you would have to go to Settings, Privacy, Groups and there select that only your contacts can add you. Someone from outside, at random, could not put you in a group on this platform.
In short, controlling security on WhatsApp is important. Avoid making mistakes if you are put in a random group and never give out personal information or expose your phone number. Additionally, you could limit who can add you to these types of groups and reduce risks.
