Produced by: Hitansh Gaur
Recently, a message for an update of WhatsApp is being forwarded on the platform. The message contains a link that talks about an updated WhatsApp with a pink interface. Mumbai Police has warned WhatsApp users to not download the update as it is part of a digital scam.
Pink WhatsApp update will change the icon of your app from green to pink. However, it will actually infect your phone with a virus, making it easier for the hackers to obtain sensitive information.
Once a person downloads the Pink WhatsApp update, they immediately become vulnerable to spam attacks while also losing complete control over their device. It can lead to a bombardment of advertisements, which can also cause loss of sensitive data like bank details and even OTP.
Phones infected by Pink WhatsApp scam can also be reportedly used to infect the phones of other contacts of the person.
The Pink WhatsApp scam is not new as it was earlier unearthed by internet security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia back in April 2021.
Mumbai Police has advised users to immediately uninstall the app if they have installed it earlier. They have also advised the people to never send bank details, debit or credit card details or OTPs over the phone
To uninstall, first remove all the linked devices from your WhatsApp. Then uninstall your app and go on to settings. Now, check whether the app is still there or not because sometimes such apps hide themselves after being uninstalled. Internet researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia also warned that sometimes such malicious apps have no names, so uninstall any such app too.
Mumbai Police also said that people should refrain from downloading any application using these links and only download apps from official sources like Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Earlier, there were reports about people getting WhatsApp calls from numbers starting with +84, +62, +60. These calls were reportedly a part of a financial scam to steal money or obtain sensitive information from the user.