Have you received any SMS messages from “WhatsApp” claiming that your account will be banned and asking you to tap the included link to prevent it? If so, you’re not alone, as multiple Malaysians have been reporting this viral phenomenon for some time now. Needless to say, these messages are scams.
As a reminder, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has officially banned the use of URLs in SMS, allowing no exceptions. The Commission announced this measure to combat scams by preventing users from opening malicious links they might mistake for legitimate ones. Therefore, we advise users not to engage with these messages in any way, shape, or form.
The Star separately reported that some SMS messages gave a six-hour time limit to click the link and avoid the ban. However, in our experience, these scam messages sometimes set a 12-hour countdown (how generous) or no countdown at all. Regardless of a few minor deviations, none of them actually matter. Another key red flag users need to watch for, aside from the message containing a link, are any spelling or grammatical errors in the SMS.
According to the WhatsApp Help Center, the company will only ban accounts if it believes the account violates the app’s terms of service via spam, scams, or endangering user safety. Additionally, the platform only informs users that it has banned their account when they next open the app. More specifically, banned accounts will receive a notification that reads, “This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp.”
Again, WhatsApp does not inform users through external means when it bans them from the platform. Should the platform ban a user by mistake, those affected can appeal the ban directly within the app.
Once again, we advise recipients not to interact with these fraudulent messages at all. In the event that you’re still receiving messages with links, you may report it to MCMC.
