Some reports just can’t be killed. The WhatsApp chain letter about the Gold update and the so-called Martinelli virus is increasingly in circulation again. That’s what lies behind it.
The Martinelli virus chain letter appears to be in circulation again. (Source: georgejmclittle /depositphotos.com)
- The Martinelli virus chain letter has been spreading via WhatsApp since 2018.
- This year it is again in massive circulation at the beginning of January.
- Simply ignore and delete this message. She is fictitious.
This scam is ancient, but is still circulating on WhatsApp in 2024: we are talking about the chain letter about the Martinelli virus. The Martinelli virus and the associated “Gold Update” were increasingly circulated in 2018 and mid-2019. Now the message is back and is being diligently forwarded to WhatsApp contacts.
As in previous years, this is purely scaremongering. There is neither a WhatsApp Gold update nor a Martinelli virus that can hack you via video. It’s just another WhatsApp chain letter spreading through panicked users. The message is currently as follows:
That’s the message
Tomorrow there will be a video on WhatsApp called martinelli. Please do not open. It hacks your phone and can no longer be repaired. Also don’t click on WhatsApp Gold updates. Just hit the news and is considered very serious. Please forward.
Previous Martinelli messages also stated that the radio had already reported on the virus. The news is now generally mentioned in the form shown above. Apparently the situation would be considered very serious. This is of course a lie and wrong.
This is what you should do when you receive it
If you receive a WhatsApp message like this or a similar one, question the warning and find out about such messages on the Internet. Don’t just send the message to your contacts, it will only accelerate the spread and scare more and more people. You can find real current threats as well as warnings about false reports in our current fraud warnings section.
Also, do not click on any links in the message. It may well be that those behind it have “developed” the chain letter and are actually trying to use it to smuggle malware onto your cell phone or steal your data.
A notice: This article was written in 2020 by our former employee Marcel Laser and has now been updated and republished by the editorial team due to current events.
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