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WhatsApp users around the world have been put on high alert after a nasty scam that exposes users’ private conversations.
Cybercriminals target the “WhatsApp” application again with a trick that prohibits users from entering their accounts, in addition to hacking private messages, contact list, photos and videos, which hackers can then use to target more users. This new fraud uses an old technique seen previously. According to Russia Today.
And those who have been scammed usually receive a message on their phone that appears to be from a friend or contact already saved on your phone (but be warned – these text messages are sent by people who already have been hacked by the scam because hackers use your contact list to try to attract more fraudulent people).
As soon as hackers know you’re ready to respond, they target your phone and try to access your chat account through your WhatsApp security PIN.
This is a very simple fraud. Whenever you update your smartphone, WhatsApp will ask you to verify your identity using your phone number before allowing you to access conversations that have been saved in the cloud.
To verify the identity of the person trying to log into your WhatsApp, the company owned by Facebook will send a six-digit randomly generated code in a text message to the phone number registered in the account.
Then the hackers will send you a text message – providing an excuse for the six-digit code sent to you – and asking you to pass it on to them. Once the code is sent, WhatsApp thinks that this is a real attempt to log into your account and will allow chatting on the hackers’ smartphone.
This fraud circulated earlier this year and is now being discovered again. And it looks like radio presenter Jeremy Vine fell for the scam. And he posted a warning tweet to his listeners to try and stop them from running into the trick.
Currently, it seems like WhatsApp users in India are the main target, but it is good to be on the alert if you get a message asking you to transfer the PIN.
Speaking about the latest scam, Ray Walsh, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, said, “WhatsApp users need to look for a disturbing new scam that allows cybercriminals to infiltrate their accounts. Anyone who suddenly receives a message using a one-time PIN code should be very careful as this is how the attack begins. After receiving the unexpected OTP code, the hacker will send the victim a direct message pretending to be their friend or contact. He will then ask that the code be sent to him, claiming to have sent it by mistake. This code is actually the two-factor authentication code to access the victim’s WhatsApp account, and once the victim redirects it to the hacker, they will use it to hack their account. Always watch out for text messages containing OTP, never forward these codes or take a screenshot or pass these codes to anyone regardless of their validity. “
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