Malicious “WhatsApp Gold” missive circulating, installs virus onto users’ phones

A "WhatsApp Gold" missive of malicious nature can hit any user of the popular application, so warn experts. The missive is crafted cunningly in a way for making users download one virus onto their smart-phones. The "WhatsApp Gold" threat has made a comeback causing apprehension for the users regarding the virus getting dispatched through a video.

With dual capabilities, the malicious program hijacks the victims' personal information, and also potentially damages their devices. The scare message first tells that the user would find a video named "Martinelli" the next day, which actually compromises the phone. More precisely, the message states that the user should spread the word among other WhatsApp users that certain IT colleague is advising about a video to be released the next day from WhatsApp which they shouldn't open for that video called Martinelli would hack their devices with nothing that would get it fixed. Infosurhoy.com posted this, January 5, 2019.

The message targeting WhatsApp users is accompanied with one web-link opening onto an update that in reality leads onto a site containing the virus. As said the virus hijacks the phone followed with seizing personal data from the device. Sophos a cyber-security firm from Britain describes the virus laden video named "Martinelli" as one "fictional threat."

Zaki Qureshey CEO of Hyderabad Security Cluster and a cyber-crime expert says there's no sign of the company dispatching a video whatsoever. There aren't any videos which WhatsApp ever sends. The current problem is a scam running since long which indicates the application has a premium edition which would release additional features and capabilities. However, there's no such premium edition; the existing one of WhatsApp is expected to stay for sometime now. All WhatsApp updates normally occur automatically, says Zaki. He warns users not to follow any web-link implanted on WhatsApp messages which talk of something additional while advises people getting the kind of missive to overlook it as well as delete it right away.

Snopes a fact-verifying website tells the message is false without any video whatsoever while it's getting spread across WhatsApp. Indeed, there's been no report from any user about getting the video.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/10/2019