WhatsApp can be a source of danger when we receive certain content, such as the alleged gift voucher from 5,000 $ that circulates in the instant messaging application, and whose objectives are somewhat dark.
The message states that "Walmart is giving away a free $5,000 coupon to everyone to celebrate Walmart's anniversary". It continues stating "Get your free coupon at…", and includes a link to a website of dubious origin.
The amount of 5,000 dollars is due to the fact that the WhatsApp chain is circulating in Latin America. It started in Argentina, and as a "hook" impersonates supermarkets and online stores.
In this case it is Walmart, a popular chain of stores in many countries, although the message could receive new variants.
Anyway, it's common for these messages to end up hopping from one country to another, and for their creators to adapt them, so please It could be received in any Spanish-speaking area, or also change the amount of the voucher to euros to make it more credible in Spain.
This threat has been detected by the cybersecurity firm Eset, and by clicking on the link (which will come to us through an acquaintance) we will see a supposed anniversary promotion:
Next we will be presented with a survey, which is really an excuse. No matter what we answer, it will make us the winners of the $5,000 bonus, and we will continue with the following steps.
Before taking us to the prize, the web obliges us to share the web with 20 contacts. In fact, this is how the message will have reached us from an acquaintance. Our advice is not to do it, so as not to continue spreading hoaxes on WhatsApp, and forget about it.
The next step gives choose a "gift box" to obtain a prize of 500USD (here the figure changes), which always we will get rewarded.
Suspicions are already raised when the following website tells us that "you must provide payment details on the next page to verify your identity", which means that we can be charged:
In the end, we came to a service called Funpros, to sign up for their subscription of content, which costs29, 95 dollars a month , and that has nothing to do with the coupon we were looking for.
In view of the above, we highly doubt the reliability of the message. The $5,000 bonus most likely does not exist, and in any case, it is not an anniversary promotion from Walmart or another well-known brand.
WhatsApp messages are used as excuses to generate subscriptions to different services, which are shown on the last page, and the creators they could be a group of cybercriminals.
If we have provided our payment information (they usually ask for a credit or debit card) it would be a good idea to call the bank to cancel it, thus avoiding charges.
This type of scam is called phishing and impersonates a well-known company to obtain user data. We have already detailed how to detect scam emails, an explanation that is also applicable to WhatsApp chains, since they use the same techniques.
In the event that you receive the $5,000 bonus via WhatsApp, delete the message and do not forward it, because it could even lead to a Economic damage if you provide payment information.
What do you think of the $5,000 coupon? Have you received similar messages on WhatsApp before?
