WhatsApp scam alert: Despite the fact that calls appear to be coming from numbers with country code of Indonesia, Vietnam Malaysia and Ethiopia, these calls are not actually from those countries.
Scammers may target you if you receive calls or messages from random numbers in other countries on WhatsApp.
These calls are mostly from numbers beginning with +251(Ethiopia),+60 (Malaysia),+62 (Indonesia),+254 (Kenya),and +84 (Vietnam). WhatsApp calls can be placed from anywhere in the world, even though they have the country code. WhatsApp calls are made via the internet. There are also agencies that offer international numbers to make WhatsApp calls.
You may lose your money if you reply to such calls or messages. The person on the other end will likely offer you a lucrative job with minimal effort.
Scammers pose as a reputable company that offers part-time work from the comfort of home. They usually lure people in by offering a small reward if they complete a “task”. After the user receives their money, they start to trust the “employers”, and become entangled in a larger scam that costs them a great deal of money.
Nithin kamath, CEO of Zerodha and billionaire, recently told how his friend had lost Rs. 5 lakh in a WhatsApp scam.
Twitter users also reported similar experiences when receiving WhatsApp calls from numbers abroad.
WTF is happening! I keep getting missed calls on WhatsApp from unknown numbers from different parts of the world every single day. It’s now so bad, I have to keep my phone on silent
— Ray Stings (@Purba_Ray) May 7, 2023
Same here..Our data is being sold either from banks or from offices?#Scam#WhatsAppCallScam https://t.co/GJ4fFZuakU
— ThePhotobaj (@_BeingWitty) May 3, 2023
Meta, a company owned by Mark Zuckerberg, has advised users to block and report such calls. WhatsApp has notified that blocking and reporting suspicious calls and messages is an important way to combat scams.
“We have invested consistently in Artificial Intelligence, and other cutting-edge technology to keep our users secure on our platform. In our monthly report on user safety, which we publish according to the IT Rules of 2021 (IT Rules), you can find details about the complaints that users have made and the actions taken by WhatsApp in order to combat abuse. WhatsApp has banned more than 4.7 million accounts just in March,” the company said.
How to block and report someone on WhatsApp
1: You first need to open WhatsApp, Select the Number which needs to be blocked
2: Now click on the three vertical dots on the top right corner and select ‘Block‘
3: Follow the prompts; next click on “Report The User” and then click on ‘Block’
4: If the Whatsapp Number is a business Account, You will get the option to Select ‘Spam‘ as reason and click on ‘Block‘