WhatsApp users in India on Saturday witnessed a new wave of scam where cyber-criminals started calling people on the platform from fake US numbers, pretending to be their senior office executives and colleagues, thus trying to give their modus operandi a new level of authenticity.
People working for a leading media company in the Capital, and even those who have quit the organisation, received numerous such fake international calls -- this time from US-based fake phone numbers -- from top executives, asking them to start conversation.
“Please get back to me as soon as you get my text, thanks,” read such messages, when names of the top executives.
This time, the international WhatsApp fake calls started with +1 (404) which is the calling code of Atlanta, Georgia, +1 (773) which is the code of Chicago, Illinois, and more.
In May this year, millions of WhatsApp users in India were left baffled at the amount of international spam calls they received, leaving many at the risk of financial and personal loss.
These spam calls with international numbers, mostly from African and Southeast Asian countries, along with fake messages from unknown users, flooded WhatsApp and Indians had nowhere to go.
Meta-owned WhatsApp has close to 500 million users in India.
Although the mobile numbers showed country codes of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ethiopia, it is not necessary that these calls are actually coming from these countries.
Most of these calls started with +251 (Ethiopia), +62 (Indonesia), +254 (Kenya), +84 (Vietnam) and other countries.
Another scam that is still being reported in India is that of receiving job offers via WhatsApp messages.
New AI algorithm to predict risk of cardiovascular events, heart-related death
A team of researchers in South Korea has developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm that uses electrocardiograph (ECG)2 data to predict the risk of cardiovascular events, and heart-related death.
Bangladesh demolishes 1971 Liberation War mural
Days after covering the mural of the Liberation War Memorial Mancha in the Lalmonirhat district in Bangladesh with cloth on the country's Independence Day, it was demolished at the instruction of the local authorities.
Ukrainian President Zelensky wants to back out of minerals deal: Trump
US President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is looking to back out of a critical minerals agreement with the US.
Trump 'angry' at Putin, threatens additional tariffs on Russian oil
US President Donald Trump has said that he is "pissed off" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, telling NBC News in a phone interview last week that he could impose additional tariffs on Russian oil if Putin doesn't cooperate in ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Building a developed, inclusive Bharat will be true tribute to Babasaheb: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that a developed and inclusive Bharat will be the true tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar and will take the country to new heights of progress with his values and teachings.
Foreign investors pump Rs 31,000 crore into Indian stocks as market rebounds
Foreign investors have injected nearly Rs 31,000 crore into Indian equity markets in the last six trading sessions of March, according to the latest depository data.