We have already warned that no, that the Ministry of He alth has not sent an alarming message by WhatsApp about the coronavirus, the website "farmaciacoronavirus" shown in the hoax is not even official.
Unfortunately, some people are not aware of the damage that can be caused by believing this type of hoaxes that spread through WhatsApp, especially on sensitive topics such as the COVID-19 epidemic.
In the message that appears in the screenshots rescued from ForoCoches, you can see how they make use of the concern that already exists with the issue of the coronavirus. A virus, which we remember, acts like a normal flu and its mortality rate is less than 3%.
In addition, the risk groups for the coronavirus, as well as for the common flu, are over 65 years of age and people with he alth problems, especially respiratory conditions, not the general population.
The use of masks to protect against coronavirus is also controversial, and when masks run out, other people who need them for more serious illnesses are affected.
Going back to the WhatsApp hoax, the message says that it comes from the Ministry of He alth, but we already anticipated that the Ministry of He alth would not send WhatsApp to the population, basically because we are talking about billions of telephone numbers and it would conflict with the Data Protection Law.
But leaving that hypothetical situation, and returning to reality: this message does not help, but rather creates more alarmism, since In it you can see an urgent message that encourages you to buy masks, something that the he alth authorities have advised against, at least for the moment.
In addition, the scam does not reside only in the sending of this hoax, but also that a web page appears on it "farmaciacoronavirus" in the one that promises that there are masks, and that in 48 hours we will have them at home (the web is currently disabled).
As if all this were not enough, the text recommends calling emergencies, that is, 112, if we have clear suspicions of being infected with the coronavirus.
In fact, these are the words of the person in charge of He alth Alerts at the Ministry of He alth, Fernando Simón. This measure has been launched so that emergency services do not collapse.
But this has a double-edged sword, since you should not go to this service if there is no justified cause. If we go to the emergency room and it finally comes down to a cold, we will cause an unnecessary collapse, and we could even catch it in the hospital.
Going back to the WhatsApp hoax, the only certain thing is to avoid situations where there are large crowds of people, since in some countries these activities are being limited, although this is not yet the case in Spain.
In this case, it is easy to realize the deception if we have become accustomed to detecting WhatsApp hoaxes, but many people are not so tech-savvy.
We see urgent messages, unknown sender and also impersonates the Ministry of He alth recommended a fraudulent website, with illicit intentions, misdemeanors spelling, etc.
What we advise is do not share this WhatsApp message, do not buy masks (unless they are strictly necessary),Do not enter the "farmaciacoronavirus" website , do not call 112 without justification and only trust the official information provided by the Ministry of He alth
