The world of social media is marred with fake news and hoaxes. So much so, that there are thousand of these critters running around the internet spreading confusion and sometimes violence as well.
The most recent hoax that’s making headlines is the “WhatsApp Gold” update where people are being sent WhatsApp messages to download ‘an update’ for the messaging app which in reality is a malware.
The message is being spread on WhatsApp on a massive scale and people thinking that it’s a secret update with new features are trying to download the same.
The people who are pulling this scam are pushing a link with a message to WhatsApp users asking them to download WhatsApp Gold, which in reality is nothing more than a virus/malware. This hoax message also includes the word “Martinelli” (which is an Italian surname).
Many WhatsApp users who are already aware of this menace are posting awareness messages on the messaging platform and advising people to stay away from such ‘updates’.
Twitterati too has been busy warning people about the latest hoax to have hit WhatsApp. The advise has been the same from all: Stay away!
It’s good that WhatsApp has restricted the amount of forwards to only five times but users too have to play it smart and ignore any such messages and avoid forwarding it to friends or family.
Unless, of course, you want people peeping in on your personal data.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)