WhatsApp will allow users to use the same account on two mobile phones

One of the biggest limitations of Whatsapp is that it cannot be used on more than one mobile phone. Although the profile can be linked to up to three other devices, none of them can be another smartphone. However, this may change soon as you can see in the new beta of the well-known messaging application.

According to the specialized portal WABetaInfo, the developers of WhatsApp are working on a new mode, baptized as Companion Mode, which will allow you to connect a second terminal to your account. This new feature has been seen in the release 22.15.13 of the beta version of WhatsApp for Android.

Also, the chat history will be copied directly to the phone of your choice. However, the portal warns that this process may take longer than expected.

Right now, WhatsApp users can use their account on a single device as well as on PC, Mac and Web. Thanks to this new mode, this range of possibilities will be expanded and can be used on two different phones. Therefore, will get even closer to Telegram, which offers the possibility of using the same account for multiple phones.

Before being available to everyone, the feature will still be under development and will take a few weeks. or months to be made available to all users.

Warning for a new scam via WhatsApp

One of the new forms of fraud is using WhatsApp networks to plant bait directly, as the chances of deception grow exponentially. In this context, a malicious campaign involving Mercado Libre tries to make people believe that the company is giving away returned products.

The deception reaches the victims through a message that is often replicated, voluntarily, by an agenda contact, something common in scams that are distributed via WhatsApp, according to the ESET Research Laboratory.

In addition to the statement informing about the sweepstakes of 10,000 returned items, a compressed link is sent that promises to direct users to the official website of MercadoLibre, which is the company that the cybercriminals are impersonating.

As if to make the makeup look believable, they use dissuasive elements such as the official logo and colors to make it look real. In addition, to build trust, it includes a questionnaire to allow the user to express their opinion about the company, accompanied by false comments from the alleged winners.

Once the questionnaire is answered, the site presents the victim with another draw, a far cry from the alleged returned products. In this, the user has three possibilities to find the fake prize that, regardless of what is selected, he always receives. These are usually high-value items, such as a smartphone late model or cash.

To claim the reward, the victim must take a crucial action for this scam: spread the word among his contacts Whatsapp this alleged opportunity.

This allows the campaign to have a high reach in a short time and without the need for the cybercriminal to intervene in the distribution. It is also the reason why the initial message reaches the victim from a contact you have recorded.

After announcing the alleged reward, the victim is redirected to another site that uses attack techniques known as scarecrowas detailed by ESET, with the aim of making you believe that your device is out of date and in danger.

Furthermore, the deception recommends downloading an application in the next few minutes to try to create a sense of urgency so that the user does not hesitate to install the unknown app.

Malicious campaigns that try to impersonate ecommerce platforms using fake sites are common. According to data from ESET telemetry systems, the e-commerce theme was the third most used for phishing sites in the last quarter of 2021 with 9.8% of them, a trend that continues to grow as well. ‘year.

With information from La Vanguardia