Ways To Identify A Phishing Website URLs on WhatsApp and Dangerous WhatsApp scams you need to know about

How are you today and I wish you a happy new month. It's of my great pleasure writing you this article today.

According to Meirriam Webster: Phishing is a scam by which an Internet user is duped (as by a deceptive email message) into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly

For scammers, phishing happens to be the one of the most popular go-to tools. It offers anonymity, it's easy, costs less and it is not technically a scam. It simply involves tracking victim behaviour and tricking them into revealing critical personal information. A well-planned phishing scam can even make startups lose their funding money.

Phishing scams may sound sophisticated but it is actually very easy to spot them. If you are attentive and not mindless while clicking whatever you see online, you can make scammers' life difficult.

There are two things you must doubt always Phishing has two components: a bait, which is a message, and a hook- the malicious URL. Now, the bait or the message can be served via email, WhatsApp message, SMS or any form of electronic message delivery through which the hook or URL can be sent. Top Tips to identify a phishing website To determine if the site you are on is legitimate, or a fake, you should take the following steps:

1. Check the URL to see if its a phishing website The first step is to hover your mouse over the URL and check the validity of the web address. You should look for a padlock symbol in the address bar and check that the URL begins with a ‘https://’ or ‘shttp://’.The ‘S’ indicates the web address has been encrypted and secured with an SSL certificate. Without HTTPS, any data passed on the site is insecure and could be intercepted by criminal third parties. However, this system is not totally foolproof, and within the last year, there has been a notable increase in the number of phishing sites using SSL certificates. Users are advised to be extra cautious and look for further evidence that the site is secure.

You should also pay close attention to the spelling of a web address. To trick users into thinking they are on an official site, the fraudsters will stick as closely as they can to the real address and make small changes to the spelling. A web address that ends in a .co.uk might be changed to a .org, or the letter O could be substituted with the number 0. Example: yah00.org. The web address may also contain extra characters and symbols which official addresses will not contain.

2. Read online reviews It’s always worth doing a bit of research on a company to check if they are reputable and they are who they say they are. There’s a good chance that if a site has defrauded people in the past, victims will go online to share their experience and warn other users to avoid the site. If there are lots of negative customer reviews, it’s a good indication that you should stay well clear of the site in question.

3. Trusted payment methods Legitimate websites will always take credit cards as a payment method or may use a portal such as PayPal for online transactions. If the only payment option provided on a website is through a bank transfer, then alarm bells should be ringing. Reputable sites will never ask customers to pay using this method. This indicates that no bank has provided credit card facilities for the website and the most likely scenario is that you’re dealing with a fraudster.

Fraudsters using WhatsApp often try to persuade you to hand over details that can be used in identity theft , such as your name and address.

Below are top tips to identify a phishing website URL on WhatsApp:##

1. Free Data WhatsApp scams

Don't be fooled - the message might come from a mate, but it's not a real offer

Fraudsters are sending out fake Marks & Spencer, Tesco and free internet vouchers on WhatsApp.

Messages look like they've been sent from an actual contact, but the recipient name is fake and designed to trick you into clicking on the URL to claim the alleged voucher.

The messages read: "FREE DATA FOR YOU ALL, NO SCAM 100% FREE ON ALL NETWORK. GET 20GB OF INTERNET DATA WITHOUT ANY RECHARGE VALID FOR 60DAYS. Get It Now bit.ly/20GB-Free_Data.

No, you won't get '20 GB of Internet Data' for sending or forwarding to your contacts. The best advice is to simply ignore the message, and don't pass it on to pals and block the sender if they’re a complete stranger to you. If they're your friend, you might want to get in touch with them via some other means outside of WhatsApp and let them know what's going on.

If you click on the URL you are taken to a fake website designed to trick you into handing over personal information.

Worse, once you click fraudsters can also collect personal information from your device by installing cookies on your phone that track you, or add browser extensions that can be used to show you advertisements.

The scam uses remarkably similar wording to a string of Facebook scams that offered people free flights and another for supermarket vouchers .

2. The spy app

You stumble across a WhatsApp Spy app that allows you to see what your friends and colleagues are saying to each other on the messaging service.

You’ve always wondered what your friends REALLY think, and now you can find out. You download the link provided at once.

OK, you deserved this. There is no way of listening in to other people’s conversations on WhatsApp . Instead, you’ve just signed up to a fee-paying messaging service.

Take note of the Following Whatsapp Scams too: 👇👇👇

1️. Anyone posting 5K to get 10k. Or money doubling Giveaway posts on Status or as a message is a scammer. Report such person immediately and do not fall for it. If you fall for it YOU ARE A MUMU. I have told you now.

2️. Anyone posting Jumia Logs for sale Is a scammer.

3️. Some people will send you sites to grow your Instagram followers but will hack your account if you import your details into those sites.

4️. Beware of Whatsapp TVs that edit screenshoted Status Views as a means to make you advertise with them. Always ask for Video proof.

5️. Anything about SPORTYBET balance adding or SportyBet unreasonable bonuses or OPAY script shit is a Scam.

-The next level for scammers is to hack your friend’s account- could be WhatsApp, email, Facebook or other--and then try to skim you. If you ever receive a message from your friend that you are otherwise not supposed to receive or the message sounds odd, just pick up the phone and talk to them before responding to the message.

I'll urge you to be particularly cautious of messages where:

The sender claims to be affiliated with WhatsApp.

The message content includes instructions to forward the message.

The message claims you can avoid punishment, like account suspension, if you forward the message.

The message content includes a reward or gift.

How to protect yourself##

Never click on unsolicited links in messages that you that receive, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.

What to do to Manage and Reduce WhatsApp Spam##

Once you've identified a WhatsApp message as spam, what are the next steps?

1. You can Report a Number on WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business lets companies interact with their customers through the WhatsApp interface. It is a violation of WhatsApp's terms to use the WhatsApp Business tool for bulk messaging and unsolicited contact.

If you receive unsolicited contact from a business account, you should file a WhatsApp report immediately. You report a spam number by opening the chat, tapping on the sender's name, and scrolling down to Report Contact.

But what happens when you report someone on WhatsApp? Unfortunately, we don't really know. Encryption means WhatsApp cannot see the contents of the message, but they will be able to see a log of your interactions and other associated data. WhatsApp only says it will "launch an investigation." If the sender is found to be in breach of the Terms of Service, their account could be suspended or banned.

2. You can Block Someone on WhatsApp

Don't sit there getting frustrated as an endless stream of cat facts land in your inbox; just block the account at the first sign of trouble.

You can block WhatsApp accounts by opening a message, clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner, and going to More > Block.

3. You can Restrict Who Can Add You to Groups

Group spam is a real issue. Whether it's an over-eager friend or a who's got your number or a scammer on the other side of the world, you'll often find yourself added to groups that you do not want to be a part of.

WhatsApp has a privacy feature that lets you choose who can add you to new groups. Three options are available: Everyone, My Contacts, and My Contacts Except. To set it up, go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups.

The moral of the story is pretty much the same as always: Don’t click on strange links, and if something looks like it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Stay safe out there, everyone.

See you next month bye!!!