The rumor keeps spreading that WhatsApp would expire and/or become chargeable.

This fear and the ignorance of many users are not only taken advantage of by chain letter writers, but also by phishing scammers.
And this is how emails like this one arise:

Screenshot: mimikama.org
Screenshot: mimikama.org

“Payment reminder: Update your account before WhatsApp expires”

We can find further information in the “attached exhibition”.
Well, let's visit this exhibition:

Screenshot: mimikama.org
Screenshot: mimikama.org

Yes, the text in the PDF file really looks as if someone ran the original text through Google Translate three times. Because of the sloppiness of this email, whose only cleverness is to put the suspicious link in a PDF so that spam filters don't sort out the email immediately, you should now click on "Delete".

But we are completely naive and click on the link:

Screenshot: mimikama.org
Screenshot: mimikama.org

Here we are already by Kaspersky that the site is up to no good. You can also see the URL of the page, which contains the word “Whatsapp” but has nothing to do with the app.

But we are still clueless and worried that our WhatsApp could expire. So, despite the warning, we go to the site:

Screenshot: mimikama.org
Screenshot: mimikama.org

Here we should now enter our credit card details.
The inexperienced user thinks that 99 cents is definitely okay. What actually happens is that the account is emptied !
The phishing fraudsters can now use the complete data as they wish: they can sell it on the Darknet or use it to order goods in all sorts of online shops. The user has to pay until he has the credit card blocked, although by then it is usually too late.

Maybe that's from WhatsApp after all?

No . Unless WhatsApp decided to become paid a few days ago, but didn't tell anyone and would like to remain anonymous from now on:

Screenshot: mimikama.org
Screenshot: mimikama.org

Conclusion

We already reported several times that there is no charge for WhatsApp, even though so many chain letters and phishing emails claim that.
If in doubt, just look on the WhatsApp homepage , but never click on links in dubious emails that ask you to make payments or “confirm your identity”.
Of course, it's best if you equip your PC with protection software that warns you about such sites.


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )