Whether it is about policy violations or unauthorized intrusions by hackers, WhatsApp has been in the news since the beginning of 2021. After a slew of legal battles with the Indian government over privacy policy changes, WhatsApp is now facing concerns in the U.K. over the surge in WhatsApp scams. Police authorities in the U.K. recently warned WhatsApp users about fraudsters targeting WhatsApp accounts to steal sensitive information, according to a report. Scammers are allegedly tricking unwitting users to share their WhatsApp verification codes to compromise accounts.
“We have seen a surge in WhatsApp accounts being hacked, if you are sent a text from WhatsApp with a code on it, don’t share the code with ANYONE no matter who’s asking, or the reason why,” said the Southwark Police in South London.
We have seen a surge in WhatsApp accounts being hacked, if you are sent a text from WhatsApp with a code on it, don’t share the code with ANYONE no matter who’s asking, or the reason why.
Learn more at https://t.co/vDiyRfWypU#cyberprotect your account by following these tips; pic.twitter.com/9IOTxfRMYc
— Southwark Police | Central South BCU (@MPSSouthwark) June 28, 2021
How does the scam work?
Hackers exploit the six-digit verification code, which is sent to the WhatsApp users at the time of registration. They then call users by imitating WhatsApp customer support and ask them to share the verification code received via SMS to compromise the accounts. Once hackers get your verification code, they take full control of your WhatsApp account, which eventually results in identity theft and information misuse.
The Police authorities urged all WhatsApp users to be vigilant and not share verification codes with anyone. Even WhatsApp advised its users to enable a two-step verification process and maintain necessary privacy measures to prevent any potential intrusions.
This is not the first time WhatsApp users encountered such scams. Recently, a malicious app named WhatsApp Pink made rounds online to gain control over user devices and steal their personal information. According to Indian security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, threat actors are sending malicious links to users, claiming to provide new WhatsApp features in pink color. Read more here…
