According to a Malwarebytes report, individuals working in the UK are being scammed by a recent phishing campaign on WhatsApp.
Scammers claim in a WhatsApp message that users who are willing to relocate to the UK for work will be eligible for a free visa as well as other perks.
Bogus scam message
Scam operators are disseminating information under the pretext of the UK government, promising a free visa and other advantages to anyone who wants to migrate there. The chosen candidates would be given travel and lodging expenses as well as access to medical facilities.
The WhatsApp chat app is used to transmit to target volumes to start the fraud. Users are informed that the UK is conducting a recruiting drive with more than 186,000 open job positions because the country will require more than 132,000 additional workers by the year 2022.
The objective of the scam
When a victim clicks on the scam link, a malicious domain that looks like a website for UK Visas and Immigration is displayed to them. "Apply for thousands of jobs already available in the United Kingdom," is the request made to foreign nationals as per the scam.
The website's goal is to collect victims' names, email addresses, phone numbers, marital statuses, and employment statuses.
Any information entered into the free application form is instantly 'accepted,' and the user is informed that they "will be provided a work permit, visa, plane tickets, and housing in the UK for free" according to a Malwarebytes report.
Report fake WhatsApp messages
Users have the option to Report and Block on WhatsApp if they get a message from someone who is not on their contact list. One should disregard these spam communications and use the report button to file a complaint. Additionally, users can block these contacts in order to stop getting future scam messages from them.
Phishing attacks with a Visa theme are a typical occurrence in the world of cybercriminals. A similar hoax circulated several times in the past to entice people looking to work or study abroad.
