On October 19, 2026, La Voz de Galicia and Faro de Vigo reported a WhatsApp voting scam circulating in Galicia. The message, reportedly sent by a known contact, asks people to vote for Sophie or Eliska in a supposed children’s contest.
The two outlets described different versions of the lure. La Voz de Galicia reported a page that asked for a mobile number or displayed a verification QR code. Faro de Vigo described a page requesting personal data. Faro also reported that opening a link alone does not demonstrate that an account has been stolen; documented campaigns commonly involve another verification or device-linking step.
How linked-device access works in related scams
In a related voting-scam pattern, Malwarebytes describes a victim being tricked into authorizing an unfamiliar WhatsApp linked device or entering a linking code. That session may let an attacker read ongoing conversations and send messages as the account holder until the device is removed.
ADSLZone’s earlier explainer describes a similar general pattern, including requests to scan a QR code or enter a linking code. It also recommends checking linked devices and disconnecting any session you don’t recognize.
What to check after a suspicious voting message
Open WhatsApp’s Linked devices settings and sign out of any session you don’t recognize. Faro de Vigo also recommends enabling two-step verification, never sharing SMS or linking codes, updating WhatsApp and your operating system, and warning contacts through another channel if your account may be sending messages without your knowledge.
For a confirmed incident, Faro de Vigo points readers to Spain’s INCIBE helpline at 017 and suggests considering a police report.
