New WhatsApp View Once Scam Warns Spanish Police Users

Spain’s National Police have issued a security alert warning users about a new scam on WhatsApp that uses disappearing view-once photos and videos to hijack accounts and harvest personal data. The scheme relies on ephemeral media sent from unknown numbers to bypass user skepticism before prompting victims to click external links, download executable files, or surrender credentials.

How Ephemeral Media Scams Target WhatsApp Users

The attack vector begins when a recipient opens a disappearing photo or video sent from an unfamiliar contact. Rafael López, a Workspace Security Engineer at Check Point Software, explains that viewing the image does not create an immediate threat, but rather serves as a gateway to secondary deception.

Viewing these images—sent from an unknown number—does not in itself pose a direct danger. The real risk lies in what follows: the photograph may contain a deceptive message, a bogus offer, or an alleged confidential screenshot prompting the recipient to click an external link, download an executable file, or surrender their credentials.

Rafael López

Once the victim interacts with the secondary prompt, fraudsters work to hijack WhatsApp accounts using verification codes or harvest personal data through phishing schemes. These harvested details are subsequently used for extortion, identity theft, or redirection to fraudulent online platforms.

The Psychological Manipulation Behind Single-View Media

The fraudulent strategy exploits human psychology by using the temporary nature of view-once media. López notes that this built-in WhatsApp feature fosters a false sense of privacy, urgency, and curiosity that curtails reflection time and prompts impulsive action.

While the public has grown increasingly cautious of traditional SMS-based fraud such as unpaid customs charges or lost parcel notifications, visual content catches users off guard. Doris Seedorf, Spain CEO of cybersecurity firm Softtek, highlights the distinct impact of multimedia.

Processing visual stimuli commands a significantly higher level of engagement and perceived credibility than plain text. Whilst an unfamiliar text is often quickly flagged and dismissed as spam, an image triggers an immediate attention bias, hinting at concrete evidence or pressing information. This psychological asymmetry enables fraudsters to bypass initial suspicion and dramatically boost scam conversion rates.

Doris Seedorf

This heightened engagement occurs within a country where 94.6 percent of people in Spain exchange WhatsApp messages daily, according to data from the National Markets and Competition Commission. The regulatory body also identifies the messaging platform as the country’s favourite tool for voice and video calls.

Security Experts Identify Indicators of Unsolicited Image Scams

Security experts have outlined specific indicators that should raise immediate suspicion upon receipt of an unsolicited image. López points to messages originating from unknown international numbers, disappearing media paired with extreme urgency, shortened links, and account verification requests.

Seedorf adds that users must remain alert to any attempts to move conversations off official platforms or install external applications. Simply ignoring the media file is insufficient for total protection.

Instead, security professionals recommend blocking and reporting the sender through the WhatsApp interface while avoiding any reply that confirms an active phone number. Users should also disable automatic media downloads within application settings and strengthen overall privacy permissions.

For individuals who inadvertently open the bait image, Seedorf advises against scanning QR codes or clicking links. Affected users should check the Linked Devices section in WhatsApp to terminate unauthorized remote sessions, ensure two-step verification remains active, and run a full antivirus scan using updated security tools to detect abnormal device behavior.