Will “Argentina is doing it” video on WhatsApp hack your phone? Fact Check

ByCraig Haley

Warnings on social media claim that a video called “Argentina is doing it” is spreading on WhatsApp, and that playing the video will result in your phone being hacked “in 10 seconds”.

FALSE

An example of the warning on social media is below.

FYI: They are going to start circulating a video on WhatsApp that shows how the Covid19 curve is flattening in Argentina. The file is called “Argentina is doing it”, do not open it or see it, it hacks your phone in 10 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. Pass the information on to your family and friends.
Now they also said it on CNN.

The warning is false, and is the latest in a long string of poorly constructed and nonsensical hacker and virus warnings that proliferate frequently on social media.

Firstly, a search on the CNN website and through Internet searches reveal no credible reports on such an attack, either published by relevant authorities or on mainstream media, including CNN.

Secondly, such an attack as described in the warning isn’t likely. While temporary exploits have in the past allowed criminals to launch attacks using videos on WhatsApp, such attacks were fleeting before being fixed by WhatsApp and only affected specific (usually older) versions of the messaging software.


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Generally speaking, opening a video inside WhatsApp is perfectly safe, and isn’t going to “hack” your phone.

Of course, if someone asks you to download a file from a messaging app and the file appears to be suspicious (perhaps the request was out of the blue or unusual) then it’s probably a good idea not to download anything. However, this warning doesn’t match any current or credible threats, and appears to be another regurgitation of previous hoaxes like the “Martinelli” warning that also falsely claimed to be in the form of a viral WhatsApp video capable of hacking phones.

For those curious about some pointers on spotting the fakes, warnings that make outlandish, simplistic or vague claims like a threat will “hack your phone in 10 seconds” or “cannot be stopped in any way” have clearly been authored by those not familiar with genuine cyber threats, and should perhaps be taken with more than just a pinch of salt.