Do you remember WhatsApp Plus? This was a WhatsApp mod that the Spanish programmer developed Rafalete In 2012. Although this hormonal version was already banned in its day - even WhatsApp released a statement about it in its FAQ - there are still some variants swarming the Internet. It is WhatsApp Gold, one of them?
What is WhatsApp Gold and why is it so dangerous?
From the outset, it might seem that WhatsApp Gold, also known as WhatsApp Gold, is one of those harmless WhatsApp Plus type variants. The owners of the invention sell you that you will have many more functionalities than you can find in the official version of WhatsApp.
Nothing could be further from the truth. It's a full-blown scam. Right from the start, we should start to be suspicious, since it is not an application that appears in any official source. Worse still, it is transmitted like any vulgar hoax or scam: through a WhatsApp message.
One good day, we received a chat from a friend or acquaintance. This usually comes in English or Spanish (if your friend can't even say “My tailor is rich”You can start to suspect), and it says something like this:
“Hey finally the secret version of Whatsapp Gold has been leaked. This version is only used by the biggest celebrities. Now we can use it too”.
Capture of the message sent through WhatsApp, inviting you to install WhatsApp GoldThis chain message usually bring a link, from where we can download this supposed version of WhatsApp Gold for free. The problem is not only that we can be infected by a virus or malware. If WhatsApp detects that we are using a modified version of its messaging app, we will be banned and we will not be able to use WhatsApp on our mobile phone again. Cool, huh?
This is what happens when you install the app on your mobile
The point is that WhatsApp Gold takes advantage of users who have already been infected to take control of their WhatsApp and send the happy message to their contacts. Thus, if another fish bites the hook, it can serve as bait for future "delusionals". A full-blown pyramid business.
Among the supposed features that WhatsApp Gold offers we find the following:
- Simultaneous mass sending of up to 100 messages.
- Customizable themes to change the appearance of the app.
- Customizable icons.
- The impossibility of being banned.
Of course, none of this is true. What it does is jeopardize the security of our phone.
- Installation of malware of all kinds.
- Sending spam messages on our behalf.
- Appropriation of bank passwords, and accounts in apps and online services.
- … And a long list of misfortunes.
The downside is that deception can be very convincing, since the WhatsApp Gold application does exist. It is a variation of the previously mentioned WhatsApp Plus. Another thing is everything that sneaks up behind us once we have installed it on our Android / iPhone.
We must also bear in mind that there are a few variants of WhatsApp Gold -each one worse-, so depending on the version that we download, the damage will be greater or lesser.
Variants of WhatsApp Gold in English and SpanishWhat to do if we have been infected by WhatsApp Gold
If we have already installed WhatsApp Gold on our terminal, the first thing we have to think about is that the security and all the data on the phone have been exposed. To reduce possible damage, we will have to take drastic measures.
- Uninstall WhatsApp Gold: This for granted. Uninstall the application and pray that WhatsApp has not banned you.
- Reset the mobile to factory state: In these situations, running an antivirus does not make much sense. The most efficient way is to back up your most important documents and erase all the data. With a factory reset we make sure that there are no traces of possible viruses and Trojans.
- Modify your passwords: Change the passwords of all your email accounts, social networks and other services. They are no longer safe.
Finally, we can also call our phone company to make sure that we have not subscribed to any premium or paid services. Nor would it hurt to ask our contacts if they have received any suspicious messages from our profile on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Gold: this is what the police and the OCU think about it
WhatsApp Gold and its various variants are an old acquaintance of the police and consumer associations. The OCU already warned about this in 2014 on its Facebook wall, and also on other occasions from its official website.
This is what the Organization of Consumers and Users said 4 years ago: “It is very interesting, but only for the authors of this hoax, because if you click to install it, you will be redirected to a website that will ask you for your phone number to start skinning yourself. to a Premium service that charges 1.45 euros for each message you receive -and you will receive dozens-, up to a maximum of 36.25 euros per month. "
The National Police has also echoed the WhatsApp Oro hoax through its Twitter account. The last one, in March of last year.
Neither gold, nor silver, nor tinplate ... #WhatsApp there is only one and the rest will try to cut the dough. Don't bite !! // t.co/7XrZzHwPxC pic.twitter.com/cW7IOS7Wab
- National Police (@policia) March 24, 2017
Neither gold, nor silver ... nor tinplate !! Don't be fooled. There is no #WhatsApp Gold, delete it, do not share it. #TIMO pic.twitter.com/VHHhjvTOuj
- National Police (@policia) May 24, 2016
In short, don't waste your time with this kind of miraculous apps that don't have any site (good). Your phone will thank you!
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