Black Friday is all about profit. Up for grabs is a lottery with Amazon coupons. OR? Stupid only if there is big data theft instead of big profits. This is how the latest scam of cyber criminals on WhatsApp works.
Phishing for WhatsApp
This is not a new phenomenon: criminals continue to try to lure internet users with false promises. Therefore, the following applies in principle: never click on dubious links. Be it email, SMS or social media, if the text is something like: “Click here and secure XY profit” it can be assumed that in many cases it is a trap. Such messages should then either disappear directly into the trash or end up as a police report.
Everyone got a phishing email at some point and maybe didn’t recognize it directly. After all, this is a targeted fraud attempt.
recognize the connection
In this case, the criminals promise Amazon coupons for Black Friday. The associated link does not reveal that there is no real connection with the online retailer Amazon acts. Instead, users only see a short link. With this format, it’s not immediately obvious where the link leads. Instead of an informational URL, the usual https: // is followed by “shortlink.su” and a series of numbers.
What is also common in the current phishing attempt is that the victims are sent the link from their WhatsApp contacts. Then they fell in love with the same criminals beforehand. No wonder, because the website behind the link looks deceptively like real competition from Amazon. Users should answer a few questions here and then forward the link to 20 contacts.
This happens later
After that, however, there is none of the promised 5,000 prizes. As victims await their Black Friday rewards, they often receive dubious phone calls and masses of spam emails. It can be assumed that the criminals reveal the data obtained. In the worst case, users who followed the phishing link could even download viruses onto their PCs or smartphones.
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