Be Informed: Warning for Whatsapp users over scam inviting them to upgrade to fake 'gold' service that lets fraudsters hack your phone

New Whatsapp scam invites users to upgrade to a premium version

Upgrade is a scam and link contains dangerous malware

Whatsapp 'gold' promises exclusive features such as video calling

If downloaded users should delete the upgrade and run virus check

By REBECCA RUTT FOR BE INFORMED

PUBLISHED: 16:54 GMT, 24 May 2016 | UPDATED: 17:04 GMT, 24 May 2016

Whatsapp users are being warned to be vigilant after reports of a scam offering them the chance to upgrade to a premium 'gold' service.

However, Whatsapp gold doesn't exist - it is a fake service and by clicking on the link within the message you could open the door to fraudsters stealing sensitive information from your phone.

The message, sent through hugely popular messaging app Whatsapp, includes a link to a 'golden version' website but this contains malware which is harmful to your phone and opens it up to criminals.

Whatsapp gold: Upgrade claims to offer access to elite extras but will actually infect your phone with malware

Several Whatsapp users have reported receiving the exclusive invite via their messenger app.

The invite claims the elite service is used by celebrities and has extended features such as video calls, the ability to send multiple photos at the same time and a free calling feature.

But the link within the message takes users to a website, currently showing an 'error 404' message, which could download harmful malware onto your phone.

This is likely to infect the phone with a virus which could give a third party access to the information stored on it.

It is not known how many have been affected but several users have taken to Twitter to warn others of the scam.

Twitter comment

If you receive one of these messages, delete it immediately and do not clink the link within it.

Adam Vincent, chief executive officer at ThreatConnect, said: 'The general public needs to appreciate that criminals use social engineering, using tricks to get them to break security best practices, to their advantage at every opportunity.

Users who visit the fraudulent Whatsapp Gold website may infect their phone with malware

'Social engineering can come in the form of pretending to be a loved one or your credit card company, or in this case, promising them an elite, secret status.'

For those who have installed the upgrade, or any other fraudulent app to their phone, Mark James, security specialist at ESET, advises: 'If you have actually installed the app you need to uninstall it immediately.

'If you have not already, I would advise you to install a good internet security product and run a full device scan of your Android device.

'Also, limit any financial or social networking activity on this device until you are completely confident your device is not compromised.

'You may need to consider a full device reset if you use online banking from this device.

'If you have not actually clicked any links and are only seeing this message I would advise you delete the message immediately and only download applications from sources you trust.'

If you are a victim of a scam such as this, you should also contact your mobile phone provider and ask it for advice on cleaning your phone from any malware that has been downloaded.

It should also offer advice on how to safeguard the phone in the future.

If you have lost out financially, contact Action Fraud and your own financial institutions as soon as possible.

This is not the first time we have seen fraudsters using the popular messaging service to target unsuspecting victims.

Earlier this year users reported receiving messages which contained legitimate-looking links through the app.

Whatsapp users have reported receiving the fake upgrade invite which claims to offer exclusive extras

One message, for example, sent to a user appeared in a conversation thread she was having with her sister. It simply said 'look' followed by the scam link and the reader had no reason to believe the message was not legitimate nor from her sister.

The websites being advertised often included fake deals which users could benefit from if they entered some personal details.

The scam persuaded users to forward the message they received to 10 contacts and after that point they should receive a promotion, usually a £5 discount at Zara or Starbucks.

But instead of them receiving any promotion, the scam worked by scamming and installing malware on the user's phone.

This is Money asked Whatsapp for a comment on the latest scam but at the time of publication, the American firm has not come back to us.