WhatsApp users in India have been complaining about messages that come from international numbers offering jobs and side earning opportunities. Most of these calls come from phone numbers that start with +251 (Ethiopia), +60 (Malaysia), +62 (Indonesia), +254(Kenya), and +84 (Vietnam).
If you respond to these calls or messages on WhatsApp, the person on the other side is likely to offer a job that sounds lucrative but it is a trap and chances are that you might end up losing a lot of money.
Modus Operandi of WhatsApp scammers
The modus operandi of the scammers is pretend to be from a reputed company offering part-time jobs that can be carried out from within the comfort of your home. In most cases, they first lure people by offering them a small compensation for completing a "task". Once the user gets their money, they begin to trust the person who is reportedly giving them "jobs". Taking advantage of the trust, few people get caught up in a much larger scam costing them a lot of money.
Netizens have been sharing their experience on Twitter. Here are some tweets...
Scam Alert: The Latest WhatsApp Scam You Need to Know🛎️
May 7, 2023
Are you Receiving calls from these ISD Codes?
⚠️(+251): Ethiopia
⚠️(+60): Malaysia
⚠️(+62): Indonesia
⚠️(+254): Kenya
⚠️(+84): Vietnam
Understand the situation and action🧵👇#whatsappscam #Scams pic.twitter.com/lXydbsmwQfRegularly receiving WhatsApp calls and messages from international nos., certainly doesn't look genuine. Some form of new scam?
May 8, 2023
Have any of you been receiving such calls/messages too?🚨 WhatsApp Call Scam Alert: Received 4+ calls from unknown international numbers.
May 8, 2023
They are also targetting close to retirement age groups with the hopes of offering jobs overseas. My Dad has personally received such offers.
DON'T engage with any unknown calls or messages 🚩Spam/scam messages on @WhatsApp pic.twitter.com/3oE2BIoKt0
May 5, 2023How To Avoid WhatsApp Scammers
One of the ways to avoiding such scammers is to not receive such calls or interact with messages sent from such random international numbers. Don't reply or click on any links sent by unknown numbers. You can also block a number on WhatsApp. Here's how to do it
Open a chat with the contact,
Tap on More
Click Block
You can also report the contact by tapping Report contact and then Block.
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