WhatsApp chain letter: Virus by Hannes Bochtler - you should do that

A chain letter is again spreading in WhatsApp, warning of a "Hannes Bochtler". It is said to spread a virus that destroys the hard drive. We will explain what is behind it and how you can protect yourself.

Hannes Bochtler: No WhatsApp virus, no hacker, no danger

This type of chain letter in WhatsApp is not new. The message has been popping up again and again since 2013, always with a different name and modified text. A similar chain letter was last out in March warning of a Ute apprentice. The text in the message is as follows:

• "Please tell everyone on your list that they should not accept contact with 'Hannes Bochtler'! This is a virus (via WhatsApp etc.) that destroys the entire hard drive and pulls the data down if one of yours Contacts caught, you are also affected because he eats his way through the list, so copy and send !!! If the number 017630664014 calls you, do not pick up! Is a hacker and it will also affect all your contacts! It is this morning also confirmed by Antenne Bayern and RTL! Forward! "
• The virus that the message warns of does not exist. The story is fictitious, there is no danger. Messages of this kind are known as hoax. The message was invented to unsettle and fool WhatsApp users.
• A virus cannot get to the phone by adding contacts to the address book. You should be careful when downloading attachments or opening links.
• You should ignore the chain letter. Do not pass it on, but educate those affected.

Hoax at Whats: recognize fake chain letters

The current chain letter, which warns of Hannes Bochtler, is not the first of this kind and will not be the last. But next time you can expose a hoax at the following points:

• Spelling: There are usually some spelling mistakes in the chain letters that indicate a forgery. Grammar and punctuation are usually far from perfect.
• Forwarding: In a hoax, you are always asked to forward it at the end so that the chain letter is distributed as widely as possible. You should be suspicious here.
• Content: If you think about the content of a chain letter with a cool head, it quickly becomes clear that it is a fake. For example, a virus cannot be spread by a simple call.
• Google: If you are not sure whether it is a hoax or a real threat, enter the keywords in a search engine like Google. So you can quickly find out what's behind it.

Other Whatsapp chain letters in circulation

Various chain letters have also been in circulation on WhatsApp and Facebook under other names in recent months. You can find the details in the following articles for reading:

• WhatsApp chain letter: Virus by Ute Christofflehr
• WhatsApp chain letter from Marcel Hohmann: You should do that
• WhatsApp chain letter: Virus from Domenik Beuting - you should do that now

New trick: Real WhatsApp virus with supposed REWE competition

On the next page we will show you harmless WhatsApp games and puzzles that you can safely pass on to friends and acquaintances.