WhatsApp users need to save their accounts?

Rumours are circulating that claim users of popular messaging app WhatsApp are required to pass on a message to a number of their contacts to keep their account active.

Over the years, a number of these posts have spread, dating back to 2010.

A number of recent variants of this message can be seen below.

Hello, I. Am riya director of whatsapp, this message is to inform all of our users that we have only 530 accounts available for new phones, and that our servers have recently been very congested, so we asking for your help to solve this problem. We need our active users to forward this message to every single person in your contact list in order to confirm our active users that use WhatsApp, if you do not send this message to all your contacts to WhatsApp, then your account will remain inactive with the consequence of losing all your contacts. The automatic update symbol on your SmartPhone, appear with the transmission of this message. Your smartphone will be updated within 24 hours, will feature a new design, a new color for the chat and the icon will change from green to azul.Whatsapp will pay rate unless you are a frequent user. If you have at least 10 contacts send this sms and logo will become red
to indicate that you are a frequent user Tomorrow begin to take messages for whatsapp to 0.37 cents. Forward this message to more than 9 people in your contact list and you will be free lifetime blue look and the ball will make it up
As we shall see!

Hello everybody.
WhatsApp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 18 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 18 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your WhatsApp logo should turn Red to indicate a frequent user. The code : d3 k5 66 55 78 df kp gh td nj 6h b6v3 b5 0y.

Message from Jim Balsamic (CEO of Whatsapp) we have had an over usage of user names on whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account is invalid and it will be deleted within the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or whatsapp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to re-activate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the team WhatsApp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your WhatsApp logo will change color.
send this to 8 people to activate the new whatsapp

Hello, I. Am john Sam director of whatsapp, this message is to inform all of our users that we have sold whatsapp to Mark Zuckerberg for 19 billion $. WhatsApp is now controlled by mark zuckerberg. If you have at least 10 contacts send this sms and logo of your whatsapp will change to a new icon with facebook’s “f” within 24 hours.Forward this message to more than 10 people to activate your new whatsapp with fac…ebook services or else your account will be deleted from new servers.
Confirming this is the new icon WhatsApp

Is this a scam ???? From Saturday morning whatsapp will become chargeable. If you have at least 10 contacts send them this message. In this way we will see that you are an avid user and your logo will become blue () and will remain free. (As discussed in the paper today. Whatsapp will cost 0.01ps per message. Send this message to 10 people. When you do the light will turn blue
otherwise whatsapp will activate billing.

There are a number of variations to this hoax over the years. Some versions claim that because Facebook have purchased WhatsApp, user’s need to make their WhatsApp icon turn into an “F”, by sharing a message. Others claim the icon should turn red, and others claim it should turn azul or blue – a direct rip-off to earlier versions targeting Facebook. Other permutations assert a £25 activation fee would be required if a user fails to “activate” their accounts.

All these variants, however, claim that users need to pass on a message to a certain number of their contacts. And all the variants are completely false, a continuation of a decades old hoax that has targeted dozens of other services including Hotmail, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

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The assertion that users of a service need to pass on a message to other users in order to determine who is an active user makes little sense, since online services can accurately tell when a user last logged in, thus able to tell how active someone is on their service. However it seems that these messages have just enough believability to fool many, which is demonstrated in this hoax’s longevity.

We generally don’t recommend spreading these kinds of rumours, even “just in case” as they only serve to waste other peoples time and ultimately fill the Internet up with more misinformation than normal.