The instant messaging giant WhatsApp has been in news since the beginning of this year, for reasons not so sanguine! The scepticism of WhatsApp updated privacy policy and its implementation has been circulating for quite a while now, and now there’s an icing on the cake – Fraudsters are posing as contacts on WhatApp to hack into people’s phones!
Read Also : Centre asks Delhi High Court to stop WhatsApp new policy implementation
Tech expert and writer Alexis Conran took to Twitter to share the scam to warn people –
Immediately after you get a WhatsApp message from someone in your contacts.
The message reads “Hello, sorry I sent you a 6-digit code by SMS by mistake, Can you transfer it to me please? It’s urgent. “
Once your transfer the code, this is what actually happens –
Your friend’s account has been hacked (it could be anyone). Scammers are now trying to hack all their contacts. You are one of them. The are trying to set up WhatsApp on a new device with your number. WhatsApp acknowledges this and sends an 6-digit authorisation code to your mobile phone by SMS. The scammers now try and get you to forward it to them by pretending to be a friend of yours.
10 second summary ⌛️
Users get a text on their smartphone, followed by a message on WhatsApp from a friend in their contact list. This friend then asks the user to share the code with them that they have received on their smartphone. Once the user shares the code with the friend, scammers can easily hack their WhatsApp, leaving them logged out of their own WhatsApp account.
How to safeguard yourself from WhatsApp scam?
- Don’t click on any link received via messages.
- Do not share the 6 digit code with anyone.
- Turn on 2-step verification if you haven’t already.
How to turn on 2-step verification?
This option is available on Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable. You’ll be asked to create a 6-digit PIN code that will be asked to you when you register your number with WhatsApp again. You should also add your email address to access the PIN again in case you forget it.
This is not a new trick in the hacking world and scammers have been following the same form of cyberattack among other platforms as well. Unfortunately, there is no software that can prevent such attacks or hackers from programming such attacks. All a user can do is to safeguard oneself and never click on any suspicious links or share sensitive data like OTP with anyone, either over the call or over a SMS.
Always remember that for a hacker to get into your system, an authorisation from the users end is required. An authorisation can be of any form – An OTP, an SMS link, an email link, etc. If that authorisation request isn’t fulfilled, there is no way a hacker can enter your system.
Have a SAFE WHATSAPP’ing! 😀
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