{"id":19308,"date":"2022-06-10T08:10:04","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T16:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2022\/06\/10\/news-13041\/"},"modified":"2022-06-10T08:10:04","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T16:10:04","slug":"news-13041","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2022\/06\/10\/news-13041\/","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp spam offers up “B&Q Father’s Day Contest 2022”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Christopher Boyd| Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:49:40 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

Father’s Day in the UK (June 19) is almost upon us, and scammers are taking advantage of it\u2014and the fractional possibility of some nice weather\u2014using a barbeque-themed lure.<\/p>\n

A mysterious WhatsApp message<\/h2>\n

The barbeque bait arrives out of the blue, from a somebody who has your number, as a random message bringing word of a supposed “B&Q Father’s Day Contest” with what looks like a very nice barbeque set up for grabs. What could go wrong? (B&Q is a British multinational DIY \/ home improvement company<\/a> and exactly the kind of place someone in the UK might buy a nice barbeque set from.)<\/p>\n

The message is plausible, and the only clue that something is amiss, other than it being unsolicited, is the Russian .ru<\/code> domain name.<\/p>\n

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\"WhatsApp
Would you spot the .ru domain?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Regular readers would know to steer clear of this missive, perhaps even ask the sender via other means if they meant<\/em> to send the message. The problem with this one is that they probably did<\/em> intend to send it (you’ll see why later).<\/p>\n

If your name’s not down, you’re not coming in<\/h2>\n

The linked site really does not<\/em> like you visiting from anything other than a mobile browser. Try to access from a desktop, and you’ll be told “Access Denied”. Firing up VPNs or Tor Browser, designed to help keep your online activities anonymous, seem to have a similar end result. All they want you to do is click the original link from your mobile.<\/p>\n

As it happens, there is<\/em> a reason for this. It wouldn’t be cost-effective for promotions to allow non-mobile visitors onto a mobile themed offering. This is because said mobile offerings want to take advantage of something your desktop won’t have. It could be a feature specific to Android or iPhone, or perhaps they have a certain app in their sights.<\/p>\n

Click the link on your mobile from the correct geographic region and you’ll make it to the landing page. If not, you’ll probably be turned away.<\/p>\n

The Father’s Day Contest landing page<\/h2>\n

Visitors are greeted by what appears to be a B&Q-themed page.<\/p>\n

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\"\"
The “B&Q Father’s Day Contest”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The site says<\/p>\n

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Welcome to the B&Q Father’s Day Contest!<\/p>\n

Take the quiz, find the hidden prize and win the new Weber gas barbeque<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Weber is a fancy bit of kit<\/a>, retailing for around $1,200. Small wonder that people would be happy to take the quiz. The quiz itself is a collection of 4 questions including:<\/p>\n