Whatsapp Meme Scam: Anyone who has a mobile phone uses Whatsapp. This app is used a lot for sending messages, making calls, giving greetings, and sharing memes. This popularity of WhatsApp is making it a weapon for cybercriminals to target people. According to reports, a new scam on WhatsApp can trap anyone. No matter how smart or alert a user is, he can fall prey to this scam. After downloading just one meme or image, there is a risk of viruses or malware entering your phone. This scam is so clever that people do not even realize and they lose their phones!

What is the new scam on WhatsApp

According to a TOI report, in the Whatsapp meme-image scam, a photo is sent to the user's phone. This photo can come from a known number or an unknown number. The image comes from a number that has already been caught by cyber criminals or has a virus in it. As soon as you download the image on your phone, the malware starts getting installed on your phone as well.

The danger of WhatsApp photo scam

The biggest danger of a WhatsApp image scam is that the virus enters your phone and does not let you know. After this, hackers can get access to your social media passwords or banking details.

How does the virus reach the phone through the image?

According to the report, the image that is sent to a user has hidden QR codes in it to target them. As soon as the person downloads the image or shares the photo, the QR codes present in the image redirect the person's phone to phishing websites. This starts installing the virus in your phone. The concern is that no one knows that the photo he is sharing can be fatal.

How to avoid the scam going on on WhatsApp
This scam is challenging because people download photos on their phones. Now who knows which photo has a virus hidden in it? People forward the photos they like or the memes they like. If any such photo is affected by a virus, then it is natural for it to affect the phone. There is a way to avoid this danger-

Go to the settings of your WhatsApp app and disable the auto-download option of media files. After this, no photo will be downloaded automatically on your phone. Download only that photo that has come from a trusted number.

Always keep these things in mind.

If you do not trust any photo that has come from an unknown number, do not download it.

If any word of a message comes from an unknown number and some of its words seem strange, do not reply to it.

If you doubt any word or character of the message, do not reply to it. Disable the auto download option on your phone. If you receive any message that seems fraudulent, file a complaint against it.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Navbharat Times. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.