The Internet is both a curse and a blessing: On the one hand, almost all the information you are looking for is immediately accessible. On the other hand, lurk as well lots of false positivessome of which are difficult to see. As is currently the case with WhatsApp: The corona pandemic has been the predominant topic for a year – also on social media. This is what criminals are now making their own.
“Now something new is happening. People go from door to door and hand out masks. ”This is how the chain letter that is currently in circulation begins. Such messages are not only characterized by the call to forward the information they contain to as many friends as possible. The WhatsApp message also spreads information that is usually difficult to verify. In this case, we are talking about criminals who supply people with narcotic masks on their doorsteps and then want to rob them.
WhatsApp chain letter: Dangerous misinformation
What is particularly macabre about the current chain letter is that it is shown in great detail and, above all, in a terrifying way how the fraudsters supposedly get people to try on the masks. The news is currently increasingly occurring in northern Germany.
The Police Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania warns, however, not of the fraudsters, but rather of the news itself. Because the officials resident there are not yet aware of such attacks. Accordingly, the police assume that it is a false message that is intended to make citizens very insecure. In addition: According to the police, the chain letter was sent in 2020 and, according to current information, comes from abroad. However, who is behind this is unknown.
→ New wave of attacks: Fraudsters steal WhatsApp accounts – this is how you protect yourself
Get chain letter: what to do?
You got this or another from someone Chain letter with a similarly disturbing message to get? Then one thing above all else is important: Don’t forward the message. If you interrupt the chain reaction, you can interrupt the desired effect and thus actively prevent the spread of false information.
If you’re unsure how to recognize a chain letter, there are a few features you can use as a guide. Most of the time, the message has been forwarded numerous times. Thus, above the message that you have received, “Frequently forwarded” is written in gray italics. In most cases, the chain letter is linked to a call to forward the message to many people.
At the same time, you can find out about the situation online or from the police as to whether fraudsters are actually in your home country. In addition, you can inform the contact who sent you the message about how to deal with chain letters.
