WhatsApp now the new platform targeted to steal users privacies and funds.

[EluguHcman]

This is not to be blamed on WhatsApp whatsoever, but on the carelessness of the victims or intending victims.

Rule number 2; never you think it can't happen to you, if guys with high tech knowledge can fall victim of different scam or malicious attacks, you shouldn't ever think your immune to this and the victims are careless because one could be careful but the evolution of attacks could beat your awareness which is a good reason OP posted this as an awareness/warning.

Don't twist it, it's not worth it, for I simply don't get your twist.

Are you personally advising me? I guess not, you don't have any reason to direct it to me because I didn't prove immuned here. I never said anyone can't be a victim of an online scam/hacking, but I advised that we should do our part to the utmost, for us to keep ourselves safe from online activity.

I guess the above was a caption of @Churchillvv triggering his opinion/insight.
If I must be emphatic here, If you don't get me mosquito too @EarnOnVictor, in this communication or interactive platform, informations can still be passed either by advice or otherwise.
What matters is "providing and grabbing rightful information". So i suggest you accept @Churchillvv contribution likely and not being neglected.

To be honest, it sounds like an abuse on the victims leaving them seem like low esteems with the word "carelessness".

However, there is no big deal to keep riding here because If I understand you correctly, you mean users being concious of scammers with their schemes will help to stay free being victim but when we feel reluctant even while being aware of the insecurity threats, we could befall the victims.

Meanwhile...@Churchillvv is also giving it a backup that the race of staying free with the hacking schemes evolution is challenging because while you are being alert of an existing/discovered scammers tricks and you stick to be careful of it, there could be some other schemes which we might not be aware about which means... Everyone is in the pull of scammers target where the  unknown schemes remains unrevealed to us.

So I guess both of you guys are still up to good updates and indeed, the fear of the "unknown scammers schemes" should always ignite us to stay watchful and suspicion at any propelled looking too good to us when it comes from unfamiliar sources and as well avoid what seem unnecessary to us because one can just decide to download such a malicious images probably due to it graphic beautifications without being aware of the unauthorized malicious operations it was going to run in our devices without our awarenesses.

[JiiBs]

Meanwhile... Cybersecurity engineers has warned Whatsapp users to exercise "safe online behavior" by not taking just an image too common as you may have think it won't be harmful since it is not accompanied with links or other conventional strategies that we only finds suspicion to override our device and wallets Privacies.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/new-updates/not-otp-or-links-but-hackers-now-use-whatsapp-images-for-fraud-check-details-here/articleshow/121393609.cms?_oref=cook

Over the last couple of days, I have had certain prompts I was sure not to have initiated, requiring me to enter code and link new device.

Now, I know this to be typical of IOS device users and for desktop/laptop computers where you can have your WhatsApp functional on multiple devices but, I didn’t initiate this so what I did, I just left the link alone. Didn’t let my curiosity drive me to click the link to see what it’s got, I just allowed the motivation be until it went out of existence.

I had several of these, numbering 3-4 times a day within few days of the week until the attacker gave up. Probably found out I’m well informed maybe but, didn’t want to test myself.

At the moment, I haven’t got a need to worry. Curiosity kills the cat they say, that let that be your case when you can simply ignore.

[EarnOnVictor]

This is not to be blamed on WhatsApp whatsoever, but on the carelessness of the victims or intending victims.

Rule number 2; never you think it can't happen to you, if guys with high tech knowledge can fall victim of different scam or malicious attacks, you shouldn't ever think your immune to this and the victims are careless because one could be careful but the evolution of attacks could beat your awareness which is a good reason OP posted this as an awareness/warning.

Don't twist it, it's not worth it, for I simply don't get your twist.

Are you personally advising me? I guess not, you don't have any reason to direct it to me because I didn't prove immuned here. I never said anyone can't be a victim of an online scam/hacking, but I advised that we should do our part to the utmost, for us to keep ourselves safe from online activity.

I guess the above was a caption of @Churchillvv triggering his opinion/insight.
If I must be emphatic here, If you don't get me mosquito too @EarnOnVictor, in this communication or interactive platform, informations can still be passed either by advice or otherwise.

If I'm a mosquito, then you are a tiny worm. At least mosquitoes can fly, can you? Next time, reply with sense, caution and mutual respect when replying to me, or you don't bother at all. It's not difficult to know those who lack tolerance, you shouldn't see things differently from them.

To be honest, it sounds like an abuse on the victims leaving them seem like low esteems with the word "carelessness".

Continue to pamper misrepresentation and carelessness, it will help the victim to be cautious next time. Does this one even know what he's saying? Excuse me!

[blackberrman]

WhatsApp users have increased a lot, which is why criminals have taken notice of it. They can lure you into clicking on the fake links they send in various ways, such as financially, but once you fall into their trap, they will be able to steal all the information on your phone and if you have bank accounts or anything important, they will steal it all.

[Jegileman]

I haven't really seen anything of this nature because I know WhatsApp to download image automatically as long as one has data connection, how then can one avoid it being downloaded? it's very scary at this point because I use WhatsApp and the images are just downloaded without ones permission.

You don’t need to worry about your images downloading immediately through WhatsApp when sent. Just go to your settings on WhatsApp, then go to ‘storage and data’; under it you can see the option of ‘media auto-download’ which beneath it you can also found options like photos, audio, video, documents and besides them is an option to on or off them. You can toggle them off all so that your images and other medias when sent are not auto-downloaded, it can at least help not downloading any image from an unknown source or a source you’re doubting their message from.

However this monitoring private key stealers have a way of it's operations and some threads before have educated us on how to avoid them.

This scammers keep changing their ways of scamming people, so if you’ve learnt about one in the past on how to avoid them, it is better you still remain very up to date, to avoid being scammed using updated means of scamming which they bring up from time to time when the former one doesn’t work for them anymore as people getting to know and already avoiding getting scammed by them. Be up to date to avoid falling for scam in this space.

[joniboini]

Just go to your settings on WhatsApp, then go to ‘storage and data’; under it you can see the option of ‘media auto-download’ which beneath it you can also found options like photos, audio, video, documents and besides them is an option to on or off them.

I think this is the third or fourth time I've seen someone ask how they can avoid auto-downloading malicious files from the internet. I guess apps like WhatsApp or Telegram need to advertise their disabled media download more often, considering how many people don't look for that option on their own. I can understand if the user is a bit older and is not curious to try new things, but it's a surprise that youngsters also don't know about it.

[hd49728]

I think this is the third or fourth time I've seen someone ask how they can avoid auto-downloading malicious files from the internet. I guess apps like WhatsApp or Telegram need to advertise their disabled media download more often, considering how many people don't look for that option on their own. I can understand if the user is a bit older and is not curious to try new things, but it's a surprise that youngsters also don't know about it.

People need to be more educated about such threats on Internet and know how to turn off such automatic download features. This security-wise practice can help them reducing more threats that can compromise their devices and accounts but there is another security-wise practice that is more important in my opinion.

Avoid using those applications as most as possible.
Don't install those applications on devices you store your bitcoin or cryptocurrency.

If you ignore those two steps, there is risk of your device, account and wallet compromisation some times in future. It's better to prevent it at start than relying on antivirus softwares for keeping your devices clean.

[Luzin]

First heard about the WhatsApp virus from PDFs, then Photos and Videos. Maybe this technique is already familiar to us. But it's hard to detect early on. WhatsApp has also warned me if I download PDF documents. But indeed for photo or video files so far I have not received a warning. It's probably best not to turn on the auto-download feature and not open suspicious messages. It seems that a paid anti-virus can also be a solution to the virus.

[Peanutswar]

It seems they are now targeting most the of the communication tools nowadays haven’t experienced yet with their application and also even any message came from unknown people wants to connect i do completely ignore as possible and does not show any kind of interest this will be serve as your boundaries and limit as possible to prevent this kind of attacks. Most of the cause of the losing funds and attacks came from users mistakes.

[traderethereum]

I heard the news from my mom. She told me that when we are open a Whatsapp group and there is a call on the group, we don't have to click the call button and join to that. Because in a few moments later, somehow will steal your bank account and take your money. I don't know how the stealer do that but I remind my mom not doing anything and if she want to call someone, he can do that by chat privately. We don't know how the scammer or stealer (I call that) work but I am sure they will trying so many ways to run their trick. Only carefully that will help us to avoid them.

[tech30338]

This is not new, but they just transfer to another application using a executable file when click or downloaded, before the issue is about receiving an email from a known source which they infected at first, then sending it to another victim and it becomes a cycle, they are now trying to steal from people who use other application this is why reading and being active and read news about hacking and stealing is very important, don't believe everything is secure, always have doubt about securities especially if you have money on it.

[knowngunman]

-snip -  I know WhatsApp to download image automatically as long as one has data connection, how then can one avoid it being downloaded? it's very scary at this point because I use WhatsApp and the images are just downloaded without ones permission.

This is indeed a good question : anyone has a clue?

By default, WhatsApp download images automatically over cellular data or WiFi but you can disable this feature in settings>storage and data>media auto download. You can disable all sorts of media (pictures, videos and audios) from being downloaded automatically but you can not disable voice messages from auto download as per WhatsApp policy.

I read somewhere where someone was boasting about sharing a malicious file with the name "salary increment structure" via WhatsApp so that people can be interested to open the file and that's how it could affect their devices and data. I'm always careful especially in general groups on WhatsApp and I don't rush to download anything shared unless I see others comment on the file shared before I download it.

[EluguHcman]

I think this is the third or fourth time I've seen someone ask how they can avoid auto-downloading malicious files from the internet. I guess apps like WhatsApp or Telegram need to advertise their disabled media download more often, considering how many people don't look for that option on their own. I can understand if the user is a bit older and is not curious to try new things, but it's a surprise that youngsters also don't know about it.

In that case, WhatsApp service provider to consider running adverts in calling of it community users attention in the decision about the disability of the automatic download of images or files in the platform as a significant to prevent unwanted files to automatically download itself in users devices, it may not do better because not everyone are attentive to adverts because they sees it as a waste of time that to the platforms interest is just of marketing skills and to the local mindsets, they feel satisfied with the services the platform if offering just as long they are able to sent and receive informations from other users which does not interrupt their communications.

So, the way forward to amend this auto download that had become threatening for users security and privacy in both those who are learned and unlearned is for the WhatsApp service providers to stop the auto download from the server end.

Then whosoever that want the auto service should set it on their own.
Then, it will be believed that whosoever taking the decision has the inconveniences behind it upon themselves which I believe majority won't bother going for the auto service while manual downloading options by just clicking the image will be more friendly to be used.


That will serve better because that of adverts won't speculate round to the awareness to the entire users dur to illiteracies and ignorants exhibitions as human being.

[Patikno]

The same thing also happened some time ago, namely scammers started using the Whatsapp platform to launch fraudulent actions with the mode of party invitations, and this news was a big deal in my country, because several people experienced the loss of assets on their cellphones, including my friend who had downloaded and installed it. Whatever type of fraud is there, you have to be careful, do more security, especially for whatsapp use security features such as "Protect IP Address in calls", "Disable link previews", "Block unknown account messages", do "Two-Step verification" , turn on "Security Notifications", and activate "Passkey". I have done all of these things, and so far I am safe because of them.

Some similar cases:

- BBC News - Mum's warning over WhatsApp Christmas party scam
- Economictimes - WhatsApp fake wedding scam can steal all your money with one message - How it works and how to stay safe

[PrivacyG]

'to steal users Privacies and funds', as if WhatsApp ever offered any form of 'Privacy' to its users.  If anybody believes it, do not be surprised to later find out it was never really true.

Almost anybody I know would download a random image received through WhatsApp, who would ever even think it may lead to serious consequences such as getting your phone infected by it?  In my opinion, we live an era in which we should REALLY start separating again private life from the public.  Humans did not have this problem decades ago, we only have it now because we have EVERY THING in our phone, private or public.

Security and Privacy education is really, really bad and I believe we need a VERY long time before we start noticing a little difference.  Convenience is permanently close to you and so tempting, it becomes very hard to give it up.  And I do get why.  If we all had stalkers staring at us and physically following us every where we go, we would care.  But because these 'stalkers' harvesting your data are invisible and unnoticeable, it became so normal it is scary.

From simple private notes and banking all the way to nude pictures and a chunky browsing history with all the fingerprints and behavior, nowadays it is all there in only one place.  This means you land in big trouble if your phone ends up becoming compromised.

Separate them, you will be thankful!  Not only will you be stress free, but you will also learn again to enjoy life more, like you used to.

[joniboini]

In that case, WhatsApp service provider to consider running adverts in calling of it community users attention in the decision about the disability of the automatic download of images or files in the platform as a significant to prevent unwanted files to automatically download itself in users devices,

Have they ever done that? I don't think I can recall a single ad related to security from them, other than emergency notices or articles talking about the best tips and tricks for security or something similar. Sometimes they do explain what settings are important and the risk if someone enables/disables it, though, although most of the time it's related to their data collection activity. Unless a major incident happened where we can accurately blame WhatsApp or any service for a lack of security, I don't think they'll really prioritize issues like this.

[EluguHcman]

'to steal users Privacies and funds', as if WhatsApp ever offered any form of 'Privacy' to its users.  If anybody believes it, do not be surprised to later find out it was never really true.

The Privacies surrounding WhatsApp is not to protect users device but protecting it users Privacies specifically on the platform such as the end-to-end encryption observer.

Almost anybody I know would download a random image received through WhatsApp, who would ever even think it may lead to serious consequences such as getting your phone infected by it?

In same cases, scammers and hackers will always aim to launch their targets on the undisclosed systems by taking us unaware which is the reason why we should back out gadgets with anti scam softwares and also our responsibilities to act sensitively with unfamiliar files from unknown or untrusted source.

WhatsApp does not give guarantee of your gadgets maintenance or Privacies neither security but rather poses the characters on it platform.

Humans did not have this problem decades ago, we only have it now because we have EVERY THING in our phone, private or public.

Rather still... We have these highily threats today because the world is evolving and we are quite advancing in technology.

[KiaKia]

I've not seen any related hacks been carried out because it sound almost impossible to lose funds on WhatsApp unless there is more that I don't just get.

If getting hands on information through WhatsApp is all these hackers want then they will get nothing, I believe they just use WhatsApp to get into your phone is all, because what can you share on WhatsApp that will make your money to dissappear?

Nudity? Sure
Location headed? Yes
Someone's information and whereabout? Yes

But money related? Hell no, WhatsApp is not your bank account, or do anyone keep their bank login details on WhatsApp? No, because you don't send such information for anyone else.

Not even Crypto keys are storable on WhatsApp, some please tell me where I am lost here.

[EluguHcman]

I've not seen any related hacks been carried out because it sound almost impossible to lose funds on WhatsApp unless there is more that I don't just get.

Definitely there are a lot you and I don't get when it get to do with hackings. They are usually coming with different strategies without getting us on their target informed while we only get informed when victims have been recorded just like the one from Jabalpur who lost his fund on the course of downloading malicious image on his device.
And you have to believe it that there are still numerous means these hackers and scammers are stealing victims funds and invading on their Privacies which may have not been discovered yet and until then, we just can not just imagine a sort of that to happen.

If getting hands on information through WhatsApp is all these hackers want then they will get nothing, I believe they just use WhatsApp to get into your phone is all, because what can you share on WhatsApp that will make your money to dissappear?

Nudity? Sure
Location headed? Yes
Someone's information and whereabout? Yes

But money related? Hell no, WhatsApp is not your bank account, or do anyone keep their bank login details on WhatsApp? No, because you don't send such information for anyone else.

Not even Crypto keys are storable on WhatsApp, some please tell me where I am lost here.

This has been cleared repeatedly here that this scammers concept is not practically carried by the act of having access to your WhatsApp but uses the WhatsApp platform as target since the platform supports a system of auto downloads of images which after victim at target has installed the image on their device without knowing how poisonous it was, the malicious image then installs the malware program on the device which grants the scammers access to your device Privacies unknowingly to you on target and then do whatever they want as much as they can access your Online accounts logged on in the device.

[Cricktor]

... the malicious image then installs the malware program on the device which grants the scammers access to your device Privacies unknowingly to you on target and then do whatever they want as much as they can access your Online accounts logged on in the device.

So, where is the proof for this attack claim? And I don't mean articles which only make assumptions themselves. Taking into account how large the user base of WhatsApp is, such an open attack vector would be a major issue. Nonetheless, I don't see such a hot topic in malware or intrusion research circles.

There have been a lot of vulnerabilities in media frameworks of mobile devices, yes, and once something like this is recognized, it's usually quickly fixed because of widespread use of such media framework components and thus possible attacks if vulnerabilities are left unfixed.