How to identify and avoid fake WhatsApp messages

Learning how to be safe on social media networks is essential. We often come face-to-face with abusive or rude people on social media. They post offensive content not made for social media or internet networks. You can easily find abusive people that wish to do you some harm on the web. You should always be prepared and well-educated about what to do in this situation.

We will guide you to help you recognize fake messages often found on WhatsApp.

First of all, what is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is an application that allows you to communicate with others only if you have mobile data or working Wi-Fi. It's an app like Viber and Messenger on Instagram. You can chat with your contacts with a WhatsApp account, video chat with them, or send voice or photo messages. You can even update your status. It's a feature that is similar to Facebook's. Since it's a social network that's among the most used and influential, people sometimes try to scam other users.

How to recognize fake WhatsApp messages?

  • If you get a new message with a label that says "Forwarded," be aware that that message can just be fake news or something like that. If the message you received has this label, remember that the person who sent it to you did not write it. If you wish to forward that message to someone else, please remember that it's usually fake.
  • Copy the content of the message and do a Google research. The news is fake if the search results are similar to your message.
  • If you receive a photo, video, or gif, remember that this kind of file can always be photoshopped and edited so that you will think they are true. To determine whether the file you received is fake or genuine, do a Google Image Search. If the search results show you similar content to the file you've got, you will logically know that the photo or video is invalid.
  • Maybe you've got a message that makes you worried, scared, or angry. Know that this kind of message is meant to make you feel that way for some reason and that they are not valid in most cases.
  • You may have received a URL link to the McDonald's fries voucher giveaway. One word, FAKE. Don't fall for these fake giveaways. If you open a link you've got, there's a possibility that you will get hacked or that they will make you give out your information (such as phone number, address, and credit card information) do not fall for these scams. They aren't real unless the company itself posted them on its page.
  • If you receive the same message from several people, it's fake. Scams tend to go viral, as many people believe in them; they will share them with others in the hope that they will get a free iPhone, a voucher for some coffee shop, or some amount of money.
  • Use your logic. When you get face-to-face with this kind of message, you will not be scammed or tricked into giving out your personal information if you use common sense.

We hope this article has helped you recognize the fake messages that sometimes go viral in this famous app. Stay alert when using social media!

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