Whatsapp-Haribo message: Warning of advertising traps
About Whatsapp an alleged Haribo message lures. Instead of a free box, however, there is only one data trap that contains potentially harmful advertising.
If you receive a message on Whatsapp that promises a free Haribo box, you should simply ignore it or delete it directly. Currently, cyber criminals have apparently managed to circulate a chain letter to cheat blue-eyed users. As the security blog “Mimikama.at” reports, Milka and Knoppers are followed by the next candy to encourage young users to forward the message and subsequently enter their personal data. This is a trap.
The wording of the Haribo message that follows common patterns of whatsapp lock messages: “I just got a free box of Haribo candy. Get one, too, before the offers end. You can thank me later.” Then follows a link to a website whose URL is supposed to give the impression of belonging to the confectionery group based in this country. However, Haribo has nothing to do with the Whatsapp message.
After a click on the link that the Whatsapp message contains, a survey follows. This should fill out the victim and then forward the message to 15 contacts. Once this is done, wait for the reward, for which the user should provide contact information such as the address. However, the gift campaign is now over – users waited in vain for a box of sweets.- Now they have sent the same form to their own contacts and the chain letter can spread further.
Behind this scam are data traders who collect and sell real user information. Buyers of these can be dubious advertising companies that, in the worst case scenario, send malware and Trojans to your smartphone. Subscription traps and other dangers cannot be excluded. If you receive an appropriate message, it is best to inform your contact directly about the current deception with Haribo sweets and the described general scam on Whatsapp and other communication services.
