➤ Viruses on WhatsApp, how they arrive and how to avoid them 🎮

WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging application in the world, also being the most used in 109 different countries. How email can become the perfect gateway for malicious people. Many times the scams that proliferate on WhatsApp aim to access our personal or banking data, becoming victims of malware that exploit the vulnerabilities present in the older versions of the application.

Let's see what kind of threats we find and how we can spot them. Viruses that reach us through WhatsApp can hide in many ways. The first and most widespread is through a message that contains a link with some curious information, an offer or that tells us that we have won a lottery (without even having participated).

This message calls the user to click on it (the link) and at that moment the download and installation of the malicious code that can cause damage to the phone or tablet begins.

These types of messages can also tell us that a software update is ready to be installed, so many people, believing that this is a real WhatsApp notification, end up clicking.

Viruses on WhatsApp, how they arrive and how to avoid them

In many cases, the malware can also open pop-up windows in the browser of our terminal, which normally prompt us to enter sensitive information, such as our credit card number or our personal data.

We often get promises of discounts from famous operators in the food sector or links that promise us to receive phone top-ups if we click on them.

When the user clicks on the link to claim the reward, the malware is installed or, as in the previous case, pop-ups appear asking for sensitive data to “access the reward”. If we have already fallen into the trap, how can we know if our phone is infected?

Viruses on WhatsApp, how they arrive and how to avoid them

How to know if our smartphone is infected

Probably, if it's a good virus, we won't even realize we have it on our smartphone, but as a general rule there are some clues that allow us to identify them. The first thing we will notice is that we find ads in places where we didn't have them before and pop-ups will constantly pop up in the browser.

Even if we are redirected to a resource we did not request, ie, we write "EpicTrick" in the browser and instead we are automatically taken to a completely different page. We can also see if they are installed unwanted applications or if we have done something to activate them.

Increased battery drain can also be a symptom of infection. For example we can notice peaks in data consumption or excessive use of the battery. if you want to learn more, you can read the article below.

Read also: How to check if your phone is infected with malware or viruses

Prophylaxis for our smartphone

The saying goes that prevention is better than cure, the best way to avoid a problem like this is to be cautious. Ideally, keep the software up to date at all times, since vulnerabilities can be optimized with each update.

The best way to avoid a virus is to use common sense

Of course another measure is to use common sense and by this we mean that nobody gives us an iPhone 7 Plus for our pretty face and not even if we will tell others on WhatsApp. No one will ever offer us a job or some company sends us discount coupons just because we were lucky.

It is always good to have an antivirus installed, especially if you have small children who are more likely to fall into these traps created by unscrupulous people. If you want to learn more about this news, read below.

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Free antivirus for iPhone and iPad

If you have confirmation that your phone has been infected, immediately make a copy of your personal data such as calls, sms and immediately reset your smartphone.

Read also: How to hard reset your smartphone