As of: February 14, 2024, 7:08 p.m
By: Yannick Hanke
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Anyone who receives WhatsApp calls from an unknown number in India should be particularly careful.
We clarify the brazen scam.
Bremen/New Delhi – It is not uncommon for WhatsApp users to receive messages or calls via the messenger service with a suppressed number.
The person calling is not known and the contact is therefore not saved in the digital address book.
Of course, caution is advised here for people who use the constantly changing messenger service WhatsApp.
Because there can often be nasty scams behind these calls.
The anonymous senders are up to no good and are waiting for private information or even money.
Currently it is mainly contacts from abroad who do not write in WhatsApp chat, but rather call.
What exactly is the intention here?
WhatsApp calls from India: What the 091 number is all about
The numbers in question from India can be identified by the country code +91.
However, no one dialed incorrectly, but deliberately called the respective contact - part of the new scam.
The callers use the so-called ping call technique.
These are ping calls
In this type of call, a recorded message usually requests that money be transferred to a specific account.
In addition, it may well be that these numbers are paid services that also incur fees.
The amount varies depending on the length of time the person being called stays on the phone.
It is recommended that you simply ignore such calls and not respond to dubious requests.
The consumer advice center also warns about this.
What that means?
There is only a very short call via WhatsApp and then they hang up again.
The hope of the fraudsters is that the person contacted will call back blindly.
Out of curiosity, to find out whose call was missed.
The fraudsters use two communication channels that WhatsApp offers.
Sometimes you try a voice call, sometimes you try a video call.
WhatsApp calls from India also on Reddit topic – expert gives assessment
There is already talk on Reddit about the WhatsApp scam, which uses an Indian area code and would usually show families, children or women on the WhatsApp profile picture of the unknown caller.
As netzwelt.de
reports, among others
, the scam is still quite new.
Other southern countries are also reportedly trying to lure WhatsApp users with calls.
The exact intention of the callers in the latest case is not yet clear.
Ping calls via Whatsapp become expensive for those affected
But there are assessments.
With the ping calls already mentioned, the intention is to get people to call you back.
This is followed by a redirection to a paid number, which becomes expensive for those calling back.
“This approach makes no sense over WhatsApp because there are no telecommunications fees,” says Manuel Atug in the context of the current scam.
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The principal at the cybersecurity company HiSolutions reports to the
Editorial Network Germany
(RND) that the WhatsApp calls could be the same scams that have been around for years.
In these cases, those called would be persuaded to transfer money or provide personal information.
“Optimized call center abuse”: How fraudsters will use WhatsApp for their dubious plans in 2024
In 2024 the fraudsters would only have more options.
As the expert says, tens of thousands of numbers can be pinged within a very short time using a computer program.
The best potential victims?
Those who actually report back.
In this case, Atug even speaks of “optimized call center abuse”.
He is almost surprised that the fraudsters are only now realizing this.
Be careful of 091 numbers: There is an increasing number of WhatsApp calls with Indian area codes that are up to no good.
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/imago/Montage
If the fraudsters had first established a relationship of trust with their victims, almost anything would be conceivable - from access to online banking to insurance or two-factor authentication.
According to Atug, direct hacker attacks could also be behind the calls to WhatsApp.
“It is always possible that there is a security gap in WhatsApp that Meta has not yet detected.”
Fake news from Lidl has also been in circulation recently - behind it was a treacherous scam on WhatsApp.
Fighting the WhatsApp scam: How to block and report dubious callers
The fact is: scams and therefore dubious phone numbers are inevitable in the digital age.
Then the next step is about reacting correctly.
A phone number can be blocked on WhatsApp so that you no longer receive calls or messages from it.
The procedure is simple: the chat is selected by holding it down for a long time, then opened, the settings menu is selected and the “block” function is activated here.
This is also possible with unknown numbers in the caller list.
You can also “report” a dubious number in the WhatsApp menu.
There is no guarantee that the messenger service belonging to the Meta Group will actually respond to the respective complaint.
However, if several messages are received about a number, WhatsApp can ban it.
(han)