WhatsApp Scam Spotter Lab: Read, Spot, Decide
A wrong number says hello. A job pays you to tap videos. A “Hi Mum” arrives from a new number. Read a week of messages, decide what to do at each turn, and see which choices keep your money and your account safe. Prefer to read first? Start with the guide to spotting WhatsApp scams.
You are Sam Okoye. Over one week your WhatsApp fills with messages from people you do not know, and from some you think you do. Across 11 decisions you read each message and choose what to do. Everything here is fictional: the people, numbers, companies and groups. Each call is scored 0 to 10, with the reason based on WhatsApp's own help pages and the US FTC's scam advice.
This is the guided version: a yellow flash shows where to click and a bar says what to do. Switch to Free play any time.
GuidedPress the highlighted Start button. You can edit the names above first, or keep the samples.
Make it yours
Replace the sample names so the scenario and the debrief you export are about your organisation.
TL;DRWhat this lab is
5 points
- A scenario lab: a fictional person gets a week of suspicious WhatsApp messages and you decide what to do at each turn.
- You make 11 scored decisions: a wrong-number chat, a job offer, an investment group, a "Hi Mum" text, an impersonated manager, a QR code, a fake ban notice and what to do after a payment.
- The reasoning follows WhatsApp's own Help Center pages on suspicious messages and scams and on blocking and reporting, plus the US FTC's advice on avoiding scams.
- Free to play. You get a final score and grade, a shareable scorecard and next-step links. A downloadable debrief is available with a paid plan.
- Defensive and educational only. Every person, number and company is fictional and no real links appear.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real messages or real people?
No. The people, numbers, companies and groups are fictional and use reserved example names. Nothing connects to WhatsApp or to your account.
Where does the advice come from?
From WhatsApp's Help Center pages on suspicious messages and scams and on blocking and reporting, and from the US Federal Trade Commission's guidance on avoiding scams. The blog guide links each page.
What if a scam message comes from someone I know?
WhatsApp says that if a known contact sends a suspicious message, their account may be compromised. Contact them by another route, such as a phone call, before you act.
Does this lab cover getting a taken-over account back?
No, that is a separate lab. This one is about spotting scams in messages before you act. For recovery, use the WhatsApp Hacked Recovery Lab.
How is it scored?
Each decision scores 0 to 10 and the final score is the share of the maximum. Every answer comes with a short reason, so you learn why a choice helps or hurts.
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