How to protect yourself from scams on WhatsApp groups

Every now and then, smartphone users face a dilemma, finding themselves included in numerous WhatsApp groups.

A user is normally added to dozens of family, friends, and workplace WhatsApp groups, much to his irritation as every other second his mobile phone rings with the bombardment of forwarded messages.

But now things go beyond this as scammers are active on WhatsApp groups, finding new techniques to scam people.

In a shocking revelation, a man has lost INR16 lakh to scammers after being added to a WhatsApp group.

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According to the Indian media reports, the incident happened in the city of Mangaluru, where the victim was added to a WhatsApp group by an unknown person in the deception of business deals.

The victim was lured with promises of lucrative returns on share market investments and was tricked into downloading a malicious app by clicking on a suspicious link.

The victim transferred INR16.9 lakh to the scammer’s bank account in the hope of hefty returns.

But when the victim tried to withdraw the money and failed, he realised that he had been scammed.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks of trusting unknown links and promises online.

Tips to Protect Yourself from Such Scams:

1. Be cautious of unknown links and apps.
2. Avoid unverified investments with promises of high returns.
3. Research before downloading apps.
4. Enable two-factor authentication for added security.

5. Report suspicious activities to the platform or local police.