A horrific new WhatsApp scam can steal access to your account with just a phone call! Know how to avoid this threat.
Whether it’s email, texting, logging into bank accounts or social media, cybercrime extends its reach to every facet of our daily lives. And guess what, WhatsApp is now the most widely used messaging application and has become the platform for cyber fraud in a new way. WhatsApp scams are far too common these days, with hackers employing new tactics to trick innocent users into taking control of their data, especially dealing with bank accounts. Now hackers have found another way that is even more insidious. This WhatsApp scam allows hackers to take control of your account with just a phone call! And that’s it! A phone call and access to your WhatsApp account is in the hands of cyber criminals.
The new WhatsApp scam was highlighted by Rahul Sasi, the founder and CEO of CloudSEk, a contextual AI startup that warns of potential cyber threats or scams. According to the cyber expert, victims are called by hackers instructing them to dial numbers beginning with ’67’ or ‘405’. Those who obey and do this find that they have been logged out of their account and what’s more, hackers have full control over their WhatsApp accounts. Also read: Zoom ALERT! iPhone, Android or Windows users are at HIGH risk; do this now
According to the founder of CloudSEK, the number called by victims is a service request for Airtel’s “call forwarding” for when your phone line is busy or busy. They can then forward the victims’ calls to a phone number that belongs to them. In the meantime, the attackers start the WhatsApp sign-up process by choosing “the option to send OTP over a phone call”. He said the OTP is now being sent to the attacker’s phone. This technique allows the attacker to gain access to the victims’ accounts. Also read: Do you have an Apple iPhone? Look after! Hackers targeting you with malicious, money-stealing FluBot malware
According to the security researcher, the same method can also be used to get into someone’s WhatsApp account. “This method works globally because every country and service provider has an identical service request number,” said Rahul Sasi.
How do you avoid falling victim to this WhatsApp scam?
- Scammers try to contact you out of the blue. The simple trick is to avoid getting calls from unknown numbers or making calls to unknown numbers.
- Don’t fall into the trap! If the hackers ask you to call a number or try to get personal or financial information, never share it.
- If you find out about a scam or hacker, report it. You can also report directly on WhatsApp by going to Settings – Help and then Contact Us. Explain your problem there and report about the scam.
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