Scammers are employing a new tactic to deceive users of chat apps by sending deceptive voting messages. Users need to be cautious as falling for this scheme could lead to their accounts being compromised.
This latest scam capitalizes on popular voting contests that allow users to express their opinions on various topics like favorite sports personalities or actors. However, according to cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky, these messages may contain links redirecting users to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal information.
The scam starts with users being lured to a seemingly legitimate webpage hosting a voting contest. The page typically displays photos of athletes with a “Vote” button and live counters showing vote totals and participants, creating a false sense of legitimacy to encourage user engagement.
Those tricked by the scam may unwittingly provide their usernames and private 6-digit codes to fraudsters, enabling them to hijack the accounts. Tatyana Shcherbakova, Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky, warns that attackers exploit the trust associated with online voting contests to steal sensitive data through social engineering and convincing fake interfaces.
To protect against such hijacking scams, Kaspersky advises users to take the following precautions:
– Enable two-step verification on WhatsApp for added security.
– Verify the authenticity of websites before entering personal information, especially from unfamiliar links.
– Never share verification codes, even if prompted by seemingly trustworthy sources.
– Utilize trusted security software to identify and block malicious websites and links.