'WhatsApp Gold' Scam

WhatsApp is a popular instant messaging program for mobile devices, and it is not a surprise that cybercriminals and con artists are trying to exploit its users by using a wide range of tricks – sometimes they opt to disguise a piece of malware as a fake copy of WhatsApp, and in other cases, they may try to trick users into trying to subscribe for non-existent services. In this report, we will describe one of these schemes – an unknown group of fraudsters is telling users that now they can use 'WhatsApp Gold.' This is supposed to be a limited version that only celebrities use, and it has a wide range of extra features and contact opportunities – the tricksters go on by saying that a version of WhatsApp Gold was leaked online, and now the user can download it.

'WhatsApp Gold' does not Exist, but the Fraudsters Continue to Use It as a Bait

The message is usually accompanied by a download link that may take the user to different pages – this is likely to mean that several versions of the 'WhatsApp Gold' scam are active currently:

• Users might be asked to download an installer, which is a piece of malware in disguise. According to user reports, the corrupted application may end up wiping the data on their devices or providing hackers with remote access to their camera, microphone and phone's contents.
• Users might be taken to a bogus website that tries to trick them into registering for the non-existent WhatsApp Gold version. The fake website may request personal information, payment details, or may even prompt them to pay for the non-existent product.

The 'WhatsApp Gold' scam has been around for several years, and it continues to be updated by various fraudsters regularly. We advise you to be wary of incoming messages that promise to provide you with access to a limited or unique version of a popular social media or messaging application – this is one of the most common tactics that online con artists run.

You can rest assured that 'WhatsApp Gold' does not exist, and there is not a premium version of this software. If you have a suspicion that you are being targeted by the 'WhatsApp Gold' scam, we advise you to block the sender of the fraudulent message.