A particularly devious scam has been circulating on WhatsApp for some time.
Cyber experts now explain how the scam works and what to look out for.
Dublin - WhatsApp * is one of the most popular and well-known messenger services for smartphones.
But precisely because of its great popularity, fraudsters repeatedly abuse the messenger for their own purposes.
For a few weeks now, a new malicious app has been spreading via the Facebook subsidiary's messenger.
Here you can find out what malware it is and how you can protect yourself from it.
WhatsApp: New scam spreads via WhatsApp
"Download this application and win a smartphone" is a WhatsApp * message that the messenger users receive from their contacts.
This is a well-known scam to get users to click on the link and download the supposed app.
Instead of the promised competition, users can expect malware.
After the user has clicked on the link, they will be redirected to a fake Google Play Store.
After downloading the scam app, the malicious malware spreads to the whole mobile phone via the messenger service.
This scam is popular with criminals for adware and subscription scam campaigns.
In addition, it happens that the smartphone users are spied on or their data is stolen.
Expert gives tips on how users can protect themselves from the Beturg scam
Security expert and ESET malware researcher Lukas Stefanko warns of the scam in a YouTube video.
"This malware spreads through the victim's WhatsApp and automatically replies to every WhatsApp message with a link to a fake and malicious Huawei mobile app".
The malware can spread on the smartphone as the user is tricked into granting the app the required permissions.
Because the user grants the malware the authorizations, it also has access to notifications.
“By combining these two functions, the malware can effectively respond to every WhatsApp notification it receives with a custom message,” explains Stefanko.
Unnoticed by the WhatsApp user, the malware operates in the background and sends the harmful link to as many contacts as possible.
"The worm only spreads via messages to WhatsApp contacts if the last message received from the victim was sent more than an hour ago," says Stefanko.
To prevent this scam and other scams, Stefanko recommends WhatsApp users to update the app regularly.
In addition, the IT expert recommends that links sent via WhatsApp from unknown sources should always be viewed with skepticism.
Special security apps can provide additional protection.
Anti-phishing apps like 'Identity Guard' can protect the smartphone from malware and attacks.
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