How to avoid the WhatsApp Pink virus

Keep an eye out for a new virus that’s spreading via WhatsApp on Android devices: WhatsApp Pink isn’t a makeover changing the green theme of the app to pink, but instead it blocks access to your WhatsApp account.

If you click on the “update” link (don’t!), you’ll find yourself redirected to another site where you’ll be invited to download an APK file that is actually a piece of malware. Once installed, your contacts will receive an invitation to install WhatsApp Pink. And when that’s done, you’ll no longer be able to access your account and the virus will collect all sorts of personal data from your phone (photos, messages, contacts and so on).

But if you have already clicked on the link or downloaded the fake app, here’s how to limit the damage:

• Delete WhatsApp Pink immediately from your device.
• Log out all your devices (if you still can) by going to Menu > WhatsApp Web in WhatsApp.
• Delete the cache from the browser in which you opened the link.
• Check the authorisations for each app in Settings > Privacy > Authorisation Management. Switch off all authorisations that you haven’t authorised previously.