Just stop.
WhatsApp may be in the midst of a battle against fake news, but it seems like an old message about “WhatsApp Gold” has resurfaced after a long absence.
The original WhatsApp Gold scam prompted users to install a fake version of the app, which actually turned out to be malware.
The new message doing the rounds warns that a video titled ‘Martinelli’ will be posted on WhatsApp and that if you watch it, it will hack your phone leaving it unusable. It also contains a message advising users not to download the WhatsApp Gold update.
According to cyber security firm Sophos, the message can be divided into two main points.
- A fictional threat: The ‘Martinelli’ video, supposedly carrying virus and mayhem.
- A real threat: WhatsApp Gold, a supposedly premium service offered by WhatsApp that’s anything but
The ‘Martinelli’ video does not exist and will not hack your phone.
You should only ever download apps from the App Store or Google Play; that way you won’t get a nasty malware app purporting to be a WhatsApp update.
Finally, please stop forwarding on any messages that look like the one below. It’s inaccurate and most importantly, it’s downright annoying.
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