The "Whatsapp Wrong Number" scam is being used by scammers, who use automated chatbots to contact potential victims from random numbers to lure them into conversations and trick them into falling for their fraudulent activities.
How the Whatsapp Wrong Number Scam Works
A random telephone number(a stranger) will add potential victims to their WhatsApp contacts. The scammers' aim is for potential victims to respond by saying "Wrong Number," "Who are you," or "Where did you get my number from?". If potential victims respond, the stranger ignoring their question, apologize and ask if they can be friends. Usually, potential victims will receive a few compliments and some photos of some girl who appears to be a scantily clad blonde woman.
If potential victims continue to engage with the stranger, who is really an automated chatbot, not a real person, it will try to trick them into registering for dating, adult, or forex trading websites. This so-call new “friend” may also encourage potential victims to sign up for a specific website to see more explicit photos, which may involve offering up your credit card number. Considering the dubious nature of this scam, if you hand over your credit card information at any point, you could be putting yourself at risk for fraudulent charges and identity theft.
How to avoid the Whatsapp Wrong Number Scam
Ignore texts from strangers. Strangers on the internet can pretend to be anyone. Question motives behind both solicited and unsolicited messages. If you receive a text from someone you don’t know, simply don’t reply. It’s the safest route. If you engage with a scammer, even briefly, they will mark your number as active and you could receive even more shady texts in the future.
Block numbers that appear to come from scammers. Unsolicited messages that look like they come from a chatbot that asks you to click on suspicious links are probably not safe. Block these numbers to prevent scammers from contacting you through them again.
Never give your personal information to strangers. Never share your credit card or banking information, your full name, home address, or social security number with someone you never met in person. Remember that any photo you upload on social media can be stolen and used by a scammer.