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A fake ‘WhatsApp Web’ Banking Trojan has been known to spread vehemently and hack into confidential information on the private phones of users. It is believed that computer hackers are fully aware of all new products, especially those that get the attention of the masses, and want to gain unjust advantages. Their next target seems to be the newly introduced web client of the renowned WhatsApp messaging app.

 

Just recently, the messaging giant WhatsApp – with seven hundred million clients internationally – finally launch its web app to its consumers. This feature is called “WhatsApp Web,” and it gives users the capability to read and send messages right from their internet browsers.

 

In an attempt to spread malware, hackers have started to abuse this WhatsApp Web. Wanting to mislead users, they have camouflaged a desktop variant of the WhatsApp mobile application with fake downloads and carried out mass spam campaigns. Defense researchers found a seemingly authentic WhatsApp Web for Windows that in actuality was a fake download that multiplied financial harmful Trojans to systems worldwide.

 

A researcher from Kaspersky Lab, Fabio Assolini, asserted that fake downloads have amassed the internet in such a way that they come in several languages and originate from countries all over the world. Adding to this, he says that now that there is a real product out there, the cybercriminals have resumed their previous attacks by covering the genuine products up in new clothes and having them search for new victims.

 

Furthermore, researchers have also found a number of harmful domains that have been catalogued by these cyber criminals to horde their malware. Some of these have been reportedly used and others are awaiting use. One such domain is the whatsappcdesktop.com.br and it was found to be dispensing the Brazilian banking Trojan.

Assolini goes on further to explain that the firm has exposed some cases where gullible users have been tricked into installing a Google Chrome extension that was shown as a simple messaging application, but in reality had nothing to do with WhatsApp. Researchers have also spotted many other promising but unauthorized desktop editions of the fake WhatsApp Web. This was presented to Arabic and Spanish language speakers as the genuine version of the famous messaging app.

The criminal’s main reason for spreading Trojan horses is to get their hands on the cell phone number of victims. In some cases, the attackers have even asked victims to enter their mobile number on the fake WhatsApp App in an attempt to acquire their digits. Once the users have submitted their numbers, the hackers would be able to operate spam campaigns or make the victims unintentionally subscribe to premium rate services.

It is recommended that WhatsApp Users take precautionary measures against this prevelant mal-practice. Even a single message can lead to pages that host malicious and that can infect phones. While it is almost impossible to get rid of unnecessary messages, it is secure to access WhatsApp on the internet from the official website:

 

https://web.whatsapp.com

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