Police are urging WhatsApp users to be aware of a new scam offering free mobile data.
Researchers have reported receiving the scam message, in which WhatsApp offers 1,000GB of free mobile data in celebration of the messaging app's tenth birthday.
The message is not sent by WhatsApp, as it is purported to be.
Dorset Police's cyber crime unit says the message contains a "visibly fraudulent link to a site which employs some classic social engineering techniques."
A spokesman for the team said: "A countdown timer is displayed, along with a message stating that there's only a limited number of rewards remaining, in order to get users to act quickly, and against their better judgement.
"It's thought that the intention of the scam is to build up bogus clicks on adverts, rather than to infect devices with malware.
"That said, however, users should always be wary of messages like this. You never know what's on the other side of that link."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel