New Year WhatsApp Scams: New Year's greetings on WhatsApp could be scams, learn how to stay safe

New Year WhatsApp Scams: As the new year approaches, WhatsApp is flooded with greetings, but the risk of scams also increases. According to cyber experts, scammers target users with fake links and offers during the festive season. Let's tell you about the different ways these scams are carried out and how to stay safe.

New Year WhatsApp Scams: As the new year 2026 approaches, people's phones are flooded with greetings, messages, and celebration plans. Many messages bring joy, but some also hide a significant threat. According to cyber experts, scammers become more active on WhatsApp during the festive season. They try to trap users through fake offers, links, and messages. Since millions of people use WhatsApp to send greetings to their loved ones at this time, scammers consider it an easy opportunity to defraud people.

What are New Year WhatsApp Scams?

Several scams are most commonly seen on WhatsApp during the New Year. The most common is the lure of fake New Year's rewards or gift offers. These messages claim that you have won cashback, vouchers, or prizes and ask you to click on a link. These links often lead to fake websites where your personal or banking information is stolen.

Another method involves fake party invites or event passes. The short or unfamiliar links provided in these messages can install harmful software on your phone or redirect you to unsafe websites. Scammers also send photos or videos with New Year's greetings. They look normal, but downloading them can introduce malware into your phone, which silently steals your data.

The most dangerous scam is WhatsApp account takeover. In this, scammers ask you to share a six-digit OTP, claiming it's necessary for verification. As soon as the OTP is shared, the scammers gain complete control of your account and start using it to scam others. How to identify WhatsApp scams?

According to experts, most scam messages have some common characteristics. These messages often create a sense of urgency, offer tempting rewards or deals, or demand immediate action. Messages from unknown numbers, misspelled words, strange links, or requests for OTPs, PINs, and bank details are clear warning signs. Legitimate companies or WhatsApp itself will never ask for such information via message.

How to stay safe?

Users should avoid clicking on unknown links and refrain from downloading files from unknown sources. Enabling two-step verification on WhatsApp further strengthens account security. Before accepting any offer, always verify it on the official website or app. If a message seems suspicious, report and block it using WhatsApp's reporting feature to prevent the scam from spreading.