These messages by WhatsApp can be SPAM or worse

Through WhatsApp we can suffer many types of attacks or simply receive annoying SPAM messages. In this article we are going to talk about the most frequent types of messages and those that you should avoid. We are going to talk about how they could affect you and how to identify if they are a security threat. Keep in mind that they could even sneak in a virus or steal your passwords without you realizing it.

Dangerous WhatsApp messages

These messages by WhatsApp can be SPAM or worse

The fact that it is such a widely used platform means that hackers also take it into account to launch attacks . There are several messages that we could classify as classics. One of them is to send supposed offers or discount codes. Basically we receive a message (sometimes even from a number we know) where a link or a file appears with a supposed offer. The problem is that it is a trap and by entering that link they could steal our password or infect the device.

The number of fake WhatsApp messages referring to a supposed new version has also increased recently. Here they invite you to download a file to have an improved version of this application and thus have different additional functions. Once again we are facing a clear scam.

Additionally, we may receive so-called two-step authentication messages . Basically, they pretend to be the same thing that we can receive by SMS when we make a payment online or use a platform. But of course, 2FA doesn’t work on WhatsApp and it doesn’t make sense. Even so, hackers try to attract attention so that we click on a link or send a message.

Sometimes these messages are simply SPAM . They seek to attract users to a product or web page. It really is nothing more than an annoyance, but sometimes it becomes much worse as we have seen. Therefore, you should always be careful with any suspicious messages. It is essential to act well if you receive a fake WhatsApp message.

Cómo pueden leer conversaciones de WhatsApp

How to detect dangerous messages on WhatsApp

So, what can we do to detect a suspicious or dangerous message on WhatsApp? You can take into account some tips that we are going to give so as not to fall into the trap. You will always find some clue that will make you see that you are facing something insecure, that only seeks to steal your data, passwords or sneak SPAM.

  • Unknown number – The first sign is when you receive a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. That is a clue that should make you suspicious, especially when it is a strange number, from another country, with a message that does not make much sense.
  • It has a suspicious link : of course, another more than obvious proof is when that message is accompanied by a link to a website. You should never open it as it might download some file automatically.
  • Ask you to send some information : in many cases the objective is to steal information and they will ask you to reply to that message with certain information. That’s always going to be a scam and you shouldn’t send any personal information.
  • Send a “robotic” text : when analyzing the text of the message you can see that it has been translated from another language, that it is very generic or that it seems “roboticized”.

In short, as you can see, there are certain messages that you can receive via WhatsApp and they will be a problem for your security. It is essential that you know how to detect them and not have problems at any time.