Love the colour pink so much you’ll forsake your day job for it? Well, make sure you don’t let that love carry over to WhatsApp.
A malicious app named Pink WhatsApp has surfaced on (wait for it…) WhatApp.
It’s gotten so serious many countries’ police force are releasing statements on it.
Here’s everything about the Pink WhatsApp scam and how it would affect you.
What is Pink WhatsApp?
The Pink WhatsApp was first discovered by an internet researcher back in April 2021.
Users receive a forwarded message seemingly from WhatsApp, inviting them to try a new version of WhatsApp.
The new WhatsApp is really cool, it seems.
The theme is in pink and it’ll come with additional features, including better security (ironically) and the ability to transfer larger files.
The message also contains a link for users to click on to download the app.
What The Pink WhatsApp App Really Does
Instead of giving you better privacy and security, the Pink WhatsApp is merciless and insidious.
The app will reportedly bombard your phone with numerous ads and give hackers access to your personal data, including One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and contacts.
Users may also lose access to their phones.
Pink WhatsApp Advisories in 2023
It’s two years later but the Pink WhatsApp scam is seemingly resurfacing.
On 23 June 2023, India Times reported that the Mumbai police department has issued a public warning about Pink WhatsApp.
Warning about the growing potential of the scam, the Mumbai police department asks people to be cautious and adopt the required safeguards.
On 27 Jun 2023, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a public notice as well.
They urged members of the public to avoid downloading an app called Pink WhatsApp.
““Users may receive messages and links that appear to be from WhatsApp inviting them to try the new application. The MCMC advises the public not to download and install this application, and to immediately delete if it is already present on their mobile devices.”
Meanwhile, in Singapore, there are no reports of Pink WhatsApp cases so far according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).
Currently, CSA and SPF are working hard to raise awareness about malware-related scams here.
Some tips you can take to safeguard yourself include:
- Avoid clicking on unknown links or attachments
- Download apps only through the official store (Google Play or iOS)
- Run an anti-malware scan and uninstall unknown apps immediately if suspected of being a victim
- Report case to http://go.gov.sg/singcert-incident-reporting-form
You can read this article to find out more about how 3rd-party app installs work.
While there is no Pink WhatsApp cases in Singapore so far, malware-related scam isn’t unheard of.
In June 2023 alone, there were 5 reported cases of individuals losing large amounts of money after downloading third-party apps.
This includes a man who lost S$6,000 while trying to buy S$2 bak zhang, one who lost S$10,000 while trying to get a ride to Malaysia illegally and two who lost almost S$100K while trying to buy cheap seafood.