WhatsApp's payments functionality is currently being rolled out across India's heartland in a big way.
New Delhi: For a few days now, Rediroff.ru, a deadly WhatsApp scam, has been circulating. Using social engineering tools, fraudsters can gain access to a WhatsApp user's personal data as well as financial information such as bank and card details. With Rediroff.ru in the URL, the spam link can infect Windows PCs as well as iOS and Android smartphones.
It's unclear when the WhatsApp fraud began, but it impacted a huge number of people throughout the holiday season by luring users with promises of pricey gifts.
WhatsApp's payments functionality is currently being rolled out across India's heartland in a big way.
Scammers send a link to WhatsApp users, and when they click on it, they are directed to a website that claims they may win a prize by completing a bogus survey.
They are taken to another website after answering the questions, where they are requested to fill out some personal information such as their name, age, address, bank information, and other personal data.
These details could be utilised in fraudulent transactions or sold on the dark web to criminals.
This information can also be used by fraudsters to send people spam and harmful emails. PUAs (potentially unwanted programmes) can also be installed on the user's device.
Phishing websites analyse the user's IP address to determine their area, then change the page's language and display a variety of fraudulent schemes appropriate for their region.
If a person receives a spam link with Rediroff.ru in the URL, they should report it as spam and delete it as soon as possible. They should scan their devices for any virus or potentially undesirable software if they mistakenly click on it.
When people see adverts in locations where they shouldn't be and are referred to dubious sites when searching for something on a browser, malware has already infiltrated their devices. They should delete the suspicious programmes from their smartphones at this point.
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