WhatsApp Scam: Users report international call deluge, WhatsApp responds with safety measures

WhatsApp has become a haven for scammers targeting its two billion monthly active users. Recently, Indian WhatsApp users have been reporting a surge in missed calls from unknown international numbers, originating from countries like Malaysia, Kenya, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, based on the given ISD codes.

These calls come in both audio and video formats, leaving many people puzzled about the identities and intentions of the unknown callers.

Numerous WhatsApp users have taken to social media platforms, specifically Twitter, to express their frustrations regarding a persistent influx of unknown calls. These individuals have shared screenshots of their call logs, revealing that the calls originate from phone numbers beginning with country codes such as +62 (Indonesia), +254 (Kenya), +251 (Ethiopia), and +60 (Malaysia). These suspicious calls are believed to be potential fraud attempts, indicating a targeted approach by scammers.

Responding to the concerns, WhatsApp issued a statement and advised users to immediately block and report suspicious accounts so that required action can be taken.

“At WhatsApp, the safety of our users is at the core of everything we do and we have devoted efforts to empower users with resources and tools that equip them to safeguard themselves from scams. WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services and over the years we have made significant product investments and launched user awareness campaigns that empower users to stay safe. Blocking and Reporting suspicious messages/ calls is an important step to effectively combat scams and when users receive calls from unknown international or domestic phone numbers.” WhatsApp said in a statement to NDTV.

''Additionally, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform. Our monthly user safety report that we publish in accordance with the IT Rules 2021, contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform. As captured in the latest Monthly Report, WhatsApp banned over 4.7 million accounts in the month of March alone,'' the statement added.

To address the issue, WhatsApp has launched a safety campaign called "Stay safe with WhatsApp." The campaign aims to educate users about the platform's built-in safety features and tools such as Two-Step Verification, Block and Report, and Privacy controls. By utilizing these safeguards, users can protect themselves from online scams, fraud, and potential threats to their accounts.

How to Block A Number On WhatsApp:

1. To block a number on WhatsApp, users first need to open a chat with the contact
2. Next, click on the three dots next to the call option
3. Tap More, and Block the number