Billions of WhatsApp users warned over ‘very scary’ message that affects everyone this Christmas – do not ignore
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BILLIONS of WhatsApp users have been warned over a "very scary" message that could affect anyone this Christmas. Mum Kasi Reid, from Coventry, made the warning to other parents after she almost fell victim to a WhatsApp scam. She said she was called by a man on the app who claimed to be part of the parents' group at her son's school.
![[The scammer had used WhatsApp to try and steal Kasi's data]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2ebfxxt-photo-illustration-whatsapp-web-835343265.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Then, he sent her a code about joining a WhatsApp group to arrange a Christmas party. However, before she attempted to join is, Kasi luckily spotted the code would have in-fact transferred data between their devices. She described the idea he could have had access to the entirety of her details on WhatsApp as "very scary".
![[Scammers may use WhatsApp to try and steal personal information]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/e62w0f-whatsapp-whats-app-logo-894856831.jpg?strip=all&w=960){kind=logo}
The mum said she uses the messaging app for "everything", and that it contains much information about her son as well as her own mum. After becoming suspicious while still on the phone with the man, she hung up. This was after she spotted it could have led to all her personal information being shared with him.
Mum Kasi believes it could have been a purposeful effort to scam her. She added how it was strange he called during the school rush, something another parent shouldn't have the free time to do at that moment. Kasi said: "[He was] dependent on me being distracted and me being rushed so I would give [him] the code.".
The National Cyber Security Centre provides guidance on its website for scams. It advises those who receive a suspicious message or call to report it on their site. Earlier this year, WhatsApp rolled out a new triple alert feature to try and help protect against scams.
