What’s App, spam?

[Shallysally]

Just that really. How likely is it that a random person sends a spam message to a stranger via What’s App?
How do these spammers get a telephone number?

I have had a couple trying to sell me "painkillers" I've no idea how they get your number probably the same way phone scammers get it.

This was just a random “hi” to my partners phone. Not an ad or anything like that.

I had a random 'Hi' message too. I deleted it and got on with my day and didn't give it a second thought.

I've had a couple of messages likes that, just a 'hi' or 'how are you?'. I've definitely not known them and have not replied. It's entirely possible for it to be a scam.

Yes, I recently got a "Hi, what's your name?" message on WhatsApp. I just blocked and deleted.

Perhaps they use randomly generated numbers after common prefixes? Not all will be 'hits', but enough to make whatever they're doing worthwhile.

I just report and block. The numbers I get start 991 ...

This was from a mobile number.

I received the attached completely unsolicited WhatsApp message recently - can imagine “Jessica” causing some men in relationships some problems if they didn’t respond and so the spam nature didn’t become obvious!

Yes indeed!

Add the number to your contacts and see if you can see the profile pic.

@MichaelGovesBeard, there is a profile pic. Does that make a difference re the spam situation?

So I’ve added as a contact, what’s app is displaying a last seen at time, and the status was set in August 2020.
Would a spammer have this info?

Just sounds like a regular person really. What’s the profile pic?

A pretty girl

I’ve withheld my number and rang the number, goes to an automated voicemail each time.

There was a change in WhatsApp’s privacy settings recently and they automatically became public unless you send in & change your settings to contacts only. I’ve attached the instructions we had in school for safeguarding, it could be that!

I got this the other day, the picture is a skyline saying my home town.

3 messages, one a week, randomly saying Hi.

I've literally just ignored them.

Did you partner show you the message, or were you snooping? Do you have reason to believe they'd be hiding something?

Thank you @Elephantscantfly. This was a message that wasn’t part of a group though.

I've had spamon whatsapp, I just blocked the number.

I don't know what the point of it is, maybe they hope to engage someone in conversation and move on to scamming them. A picture of a pretty girl is more likely to get men to reply

Unless you have some other reason to be suspicious I'd assume automated number spamming

@Elephantscantfly

There was a change in WhatsApp’s privacy settings recently and they automatically became public unless you send in & change your settings to contacts only. I’ve attached the instructions we had in school for safeguarding, it could be that!

I think you may have misunderstood the change, it doesn't mean that your settings are public it means that anyone can add your number to a group chat without you having to agree to it.

He didn’t show me the message, no. He asked me to tell him a website that he had stored a link for in his notes.
When I unlocked his phone, it was on the archive chat in what’s app. He had blocked the number but not deleted.

I’ve never had reason to doubt him, never snooped. Just something like this makes me wonder that’s all.

I also gave him the chance to talk about it last night, was talking about some IT security training I’m booked on and said that part of that was scammers, on apps like Snapchat and what’s app, said I’d never had anything like that, had he? He replied no he had not.

@AFuturisticalSound, that’s what I’m assuming it is. I have no reason to doubt him, probably overthinking and hormonal

I had one the other day, picture of a man and message just said "hello" 🤷‍♀️ wouldn't think anything of archiving vs deleting, I always end up archiving because deleting is more complicated on WhatsApp for some reason.

Yes it is, don’t know why I’m sure 🤷‍♀️