WhatsApp might be considered as one of the safest Social Media services but that doesn’t mean that it’s completely immune from getting compromised. Yes, your WhatsApp account can be hacked and you can lose all details in a matter of minutes.
It was first reported by Gulf News and an advisory was also issued on Twitter to warn WhatsApp users about the new technique which is being exploited by the scammers to gain access of their victims’ WhatsApp accounts.
Usually, when you install WhatsApp on your smartphone or other device, WhatsApp asks you to verify yourself first before setting up an account, or signing into an existing one. Normally, a six-digit code is sent for verification.
However, scammers have taken note of the effectiveness of this approach and are now sending “codes” of their own to users but instead of a six-digit number, there code consists of a link and once you click on the link, WhatsApp gets the confirmation that the verification was done by you and thus, the scammer gains control of your account and can then read your messages and/or send new ones on your behalf.
Various accounts have been hacked through this scam technique and users are advised to be extra careful while responding to a message that claims that they need to verify themselves. It should be noted that verification should be done on WhatsApp, only if you have initiated the process by yourself. In addition to that, users are also advised to not share their verification code with anyone else. As an extra precaution, be sure to enable two-step verification on your account.
According to various reports, hackers have been issuing messages in different languages such as English and French, which means that the approach might soon be used worldwide, if not taken care of promptly.
Read next: WhatsApp will soon block conversation screenshots, launches new Doodle UI
Featured photo: HStocks / Getty Images
It was first reported by Gulf News and an advisory was also issued on Twitter to warn WhatsApp users about the new technique which is being exploited by the scammers to gain access of their victims’ WhatsApp accounts.
Usually, when you install WhatsApp on your smartphone or other device, WhatsApp asks you to verify yourself first before setting up an account, or signing into an existing one. Normally, a six-digit code is sent for verification.
However, scammers have taken note of the effectiveness of this approach and are now sending “codes” of their own to users but instead of a six-digit number, there code consists of a link and once you click on the link, WhatsApp gets the confirmation that the verification was done by you and thus, the scammer gains control of your account and can then read your messages and/or send new ones on your behalf.
Various accounts have been hacked through this scam technique and users are advised to be extra careful while responding to a message that claims that they need to verify themselves. It should be noted that verification should be done on WhatsApp, only if you have initiated the process by yourself. In addition to that, users are also advised to not share their verification code with anyone else. As an extra precaution, be sure to enable two-step verification on your account.
According to various reports, hackers have been issuing messages in different languages such as English and French, which means that the approach might soon be used worldwide, if not taken care of promptly.
Read next: WhatsApp will soon block conversation screenshots, launches new Doodle UI
Featured photo: HStocks / Getty Images
