Have you received an invitation to upgrade to WhatsApp Gold? Don’t believe a word of it, and definitely don’t follow that link.
Some people have reported receiving a link to an exclusive new version of the popular WhatsApp messaging app. The upgrade reportedly adds the ability to conduct video chats, send 100 photos simultaneously, and even delete messages after you’ve sent them.
It also appeals to the spirit of our time by insisting that WhatsApp Gold is all the rage with celebrities.
Of course, there is no such thing as WhatsApp Gold. It’s a con. What’s more, the link you receive will actually lead to malware, which is obviously bad news for your phone and possibly your private data.
If you’re a regular, internet-savvy TrustedReviews reader, you might think it unlikely that too many people will be fooled by this scam. After all, the associated message reads “Hey Finally Secret Whatsapp golden version has been leaked, This version is used only by big celebrities. Now we can use it too,” which is all shades of dodgy.
But WhatsApp has grown well beyond the realms of the tech-savvy and into the mainstream, with an estimated one billion active users. That’s a lot of people who wouldn’t necessarily pick up on the warning signs.
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Lending the scam extra credibility is the recent news that WhatsApp is actually set to roll out a video calling feature in the near future, which is one of the temptations WhatsApp Gold holds out.
It seems the WhatsApp Gold scam has mostly affected Android devices to date, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for regardless of platform. As Metro reports, if you receive the invite, the advice is to delete the message straight away.
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If you have already followed the link to download the software, it’s recommended that you install some antivirus software onto your phone.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.