Scammers targeting WhatsApp users and taking over their accounts, by posing as a friend or group admin and asking for SMS security codes they have sent.
The scam has been there for so many years and users are falling victim of it, with victims detailing of what really happened after the lost their account on social media.
The social media giant says WhatsApp users should never give their security codes to anybody, even if they appear to be a friend or a family member.
A victim shared his experience that” Someone called her posing as a group admin of a Whatsapp group saying he has identify a scammer in a group so he is creating a new group and he has sent her a code so she should check and get back to him.”
She further said “after receiving the SMS which is a six digits code from Whatsapp she got to know that the person wants to get access to her account so she didn’t talk to him again”.
What should you look out for?
Whenever you receive an SMS which contains six-digit Whatsapp code that was not issued by you then you may be a target for the scam.
Scammers may also call you for the code after sending SMS which contains the six digits Whatsapp code.
Whatsapp is programmed in such a way that the user need to use the six digits Whatsapp code to set up a new account or signing into an existing account on a new device.
Know that if you haven’t initiated any request then there is a scammer trying to hijack your Whatsapp account.
What do the scammers do with stolen accounts?
When a scammer get access to your account they tried to chats your contacts on your account trying to pose a you which your contacts will believe it.
Some scammers used the account for exorting money from your contact list.
Others used your account for fraudulent activities like double money using world remit platform.
How can you protect yourself?
WhatsApp said: “The safety and security of our users and their messages are really important to us.
However, just like regular SMS or phone calls, it’s possible for other WhatsApp users who have your phone number to contact you.”
It said users should:
- Don’t give your password or SMS security code to anybody
- Enable two factor authentication on your Whatsapp account for extra protection.
- Be extra careful when you receive message asking for money. So kindly verify from your family and friends and see where is true or not.
