The WhatsApp Gold scam is a message that invites you to “upgrade” to a premium version of WhatsApp through a download link. No such version exists. Anything you install from that link is an unofficial app at best and malware at worst, so do not tap it, and report the message instead.
The warnings that travel alongside it are often false too. Knowing which half of the message is real saves you from both the download and the panic.
What the WhatsApp Gold message actually says
The bait version promises extra features or a new look, then points you to a download page outside the App Store or Google Play. That page is the scam.
A second version is a warning chain. It tells you to ignore WhatsApp Gold invites, then adds that a video called “Martinelli” or “Dance of the Pope” will hack or wipe your phone the moment you open it. It ends by urging you to forward it to everyone you know.
Full Fact checked this exact chain and split it cleanly: WhatsApp Gold scams are real, while there is no evidence the Martinelli or Dance of the Pope videos exist. Snopes traced the Martinelli hoax back to at least 2017, always due to arrive “tomorrow”.
Video: Dave’s Tech Rescue
WhatsApp Gold message vs a genuine WhatsApp update
Real updates never arrive as a chat message with a download link. They come through your phone’s app store, like every other app. Put the two side by side and the difference is obvious.
| Sign | WhatsApp Gold message | Genuine WhatsApp update |
|---|---|---|
| Where it arrives | A forwarded chat, text or social post | App Store or Google Play update list |
| How you install it | A link to an outside website or APK file | The Update button inside the official store |
| What it promises | A premium “Gold” or “Plus” edition | Bug fixes and features for the same app |
| Pressure to share | “Forward this to all your contacts” | None |
| Malware claims | A named video that hacks your phone “tomorrow” | None |
WhatsApp’s own help centre describes third-party builds such as WhatsApp Plus as unofficial apps and warns that using one can get your account temporarily or permanently banned. So even a “harmless” Gold download can cost you the account.
How to report the WhatsApp Gold scam in the UK
Do not tap the link, and do not forward the message, including the warning version. Then report it through the route that matches where it landed.
- Inside WhatsApp, open the chat, choose Block and leave Report to WhatsApp ticked.
- If it came as an SMS, forward the text to 7726, the free spam-reporting number most UK networks support.
- Screenshot the message and email it to [email protected]. The NCSC accepts screenshots of suspicious messages.
- If you installed something, lost money or were hacked, report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. It replaced Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
WhatsApp Gold is one lure in a much larger family. Our breakdown of the types of phishing shows where it sits alongside smishing and clone attacks.
If you already installed the Gold app
Delete the app first. Then run a scan with reputable security software, and change the passwords for any account you touched while it was installed.
Turn on WhatsApp’s two-step verification so a stolen SIM or verification code is not enough to move your account to another phone. If a bank app was on the device, call your bank on the number printed on your card.
The same giveaways appear in email lures, and our list of phishing email examples trains your eye for them. Targeted versions aimed at directors work the same way, as the guide to whaling phishing explains.
WhatsApp Gold scam FAQ
Is WhatsApp Gold real?
No. WhatsApp has never released a Gold edition. Every “WhatsApp Gold” download is a third-party app, and WhatsApp can ban accounts that use unofficial versions.
Is the Martinelli video a virus?
There is no evidence it exists. Full Fact and Snopes both rate the Martinelli warning a hoax that has circulated since at least 2017.
Should I forward the warning to friends?
No. Forwarding spreads the false Martinelli claim and keeps the chain alive. Delete it, and point friends to the official reporting routes above if they ask.
