WhatsApp is rolling out a new video calling feature. A lot of scam websites have come up which promise to enable the video calling feature on WhatsApp user phones.
Here are some of the URLs of the scam websites:
- whatsappvideoactivate DOT com
- whatappvideoenable DOT com
- whatappvideoonline DOT com
- whatappvideofeature DOT com
- whatappvideostart DOT com
- whatsapp-videocalls DOT com
- whatsapp.com.videocallenable DOT co
- whatsapp.net.videocallenable DOT co
- whatsapp.org.videocallenable DOT co
- whatsapp.com.videocalls DOT co
- whatsapp.net.videocalls DOT co
- whatsapp.org.videocall
- realmob DOT co/app.html
- fvvnn.voluumtrk DOT com/voluum/9a2dae36-0462-4408-81c3-f143078012bd
I believe the scamsters are targeting a particular demographic group only as of now with the above URLs.
Here is one publicly available website warning users from visiting the scam websites: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2016/11/beware-whatsapp-video-calling-invitation-message-scam.html
One website warned its readers of such a scam way back in Jan, 2016 & the scam URL used then was:
- whatsapp.videocallinginvite DOT com
Warning ! Current Whatsapp Video Calling Is A Scam!
January 26, 2016
http://www.gadgetsng.com/2016/01/warning-current-whatsapp-video-calling-scam.html
An article in Softpedia from May 2015, warned its readers from going to the scam websites which were reportedly harvesting phone numbers of WhatsApp users.
However, the end goal of the scammers is to collect the WhatsApp numbers, probably to create a database with targets for different malicious campaigns.
WhatsApp Video Calling Scam Harvests Phone Numbers
Scammers try to trick victims into inviting friends, too
May 18, 2015 17:59 GMT
http://news.softpedia.com/news/WhatsApp-Video-Calling-Scams-Harvest-Phone-Numbers-481539.shtml