Polls, Votes and "Help My Child Win" Scams
A friend asks you to vote for a child in a competition. The 'voting' page asks for your number and a code, and your WhatsApp is stolen. How the voting scam works.
A friend messages: "Please vote for my niece, she's in the final of a dance competition, it takes one minute." The link opens a page with a child's photo and a vote button. To vote, you enter your phone number, then the code you receive. That code was your WhatsApp registration code.
hxxps://kids-talent-vote[.]online/entry/42How the scam works
- You enter your number on the voting page.
- Behind the scenes, the scammer starts registering WhatsApp with your number.
- WhatsApp sends you a code, which the page asks you to enter "to confirm your vote".
- The scammer uses it to take your account, then sends the same vote request to all your contacts.
No real competition needs your WhatsApp code. A code that says "WhatsApp" is only ever for WhatsApp.
If you already voted
- Open WhatsApp. If you are logged out, re-register at once. See account recovery.
- Turn on two-step verification.
- Warn your contacts. See how to warn them.
Related: the verification code scam and social media quizzes. For more, see our guide to WhatsApp scams.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a voting page need my phone number?
It does not. The page uses your number to start registering your WhatsApp on the scammer's phone.
I entered the code on the voting page. What now?
Your account may already be taken over. Re-register your number immediately and turn on two-step verification.
The request came from someone I know. Is it safe?
No. Their account was probably stolen the same way.
Sources
- Received verification code without requesting it, WhatsApp Help Center
- How to recover a compromised account, WhatsApp Help Center
- About two-step verification, WhatsApp Help Center
