As you probably know, hackers don’t take vacations and redouble their ingenuity to accomplish their purposes. This time, the platform targeted by their attacks is the WhatsApp messaging service. The scam takes the form of backup messages addressed to Spanish speakers.
Specifically, it is a bogus backup message that tricks recipients to download a link that contains malware that, once downloaded, will install itself on victims’ devices.
Spanish authorities have already warned of this large-scale phishing campaign. This fake message, which impersonates the WhatsApp messaging service, invites recipients to download copies of their conversations as well as their call histories by clicking on a link that only contains the NoPiques malware.
Backup messages that allegedly originate from WhatsApp
This NoPiques malware is a Trojan horse that lurks in a folder in .zip archive format that, if executed, will infect victims’ devices. Also note that e-mails sent by hackers can put to sleep the mistrust of recipients due to the fact that they are written in grammatically correct language or, at the very least, which contains few errors compared to fake messages. sent by hackers in English or other languages.
These emails usually have a subject line that says ” WhatsApp messages backup * 910371605 N ° (xxxxx) “. But these messages can also vary.
The number of victims remains unknown for the moment
The Oficina de Seguridad del Internauta (OSI) of the Spanish National Institute of Cybersecurity (INCIBE) has issued warnings about this phishing campaign aimed at spreading malware. The Guardia Civil police agency also spread the alert on social media, reports The Daily Swig.
For the moment, the OSI has not wanted to indicate the number of victims who have potentially fallen into this trap. But, as a reminder, this is not the first time that OSI has launched such an alert. Indeed, a phishing campaign similar to this one already appeared in March 2021. This previous scam came in the form of messages coming from the services WeTransfer, WhatsApp, Vodafone and even from the Spanish Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of Interior. Yet, these messages actually contained links that downloaded a Trojan horse to users’ devices.
Regarding this latest phishing campaign, OSI posted a video on YouTube to allow internet users to detect fraudulent phishing messages masquerading as government agencies or other institutions and businesses.
It may also be useful to clarify that Spain is not the only country plagued by this type of campaign. France is also affected and we must therefore remain cautious.
.
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
