WhatsApp piracy is on the rise again, this is the mode of hackers! – WhatsApp piracy is back again. A number of users reported on social media that their accounts were suddenly taken over by hackers for criminal acts.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has even issued a warning asking the public to be aware of the increasing number of inventive tactics used by cybercriminals who try to hijack WhatsApp accounts.
This warning was issued due to the increase in reports of fraud cases carried out through the application, as reported by The Star Online, Monday (25/1/2022).
MCMC said Whatsapp account hijacking was usually successful if the victim leaked a six-digit verification code, which users typically receive when there is an attempt to change the phone number associated with their account. This verification code is sent via SMS.
One of the methods, scammers contact potential victims disguised as individuals or businesses who claim to have entered the victim’s phone number incorrectly while trying to complete an online transaction, as a result, a transaction authorization code has been sent to the victim’s phone and asks to send the code.
Requests to be sent this verification code could even come from a family member or friend of the victim through an account that has been hijacked by the fraudster, MCMC said.
This tactic usually misleads the victim into thinking that they are sending an unrelated TAC (transaction authorization code) to the fraudster when in fact they are handing over a six-digit verification code to the victim’s own WhatsApp account.
In another mode, scammers disguise themselves as WhatsApp employees to fool users into sharing their verification codes. There have also been cases where fraudsters intentionally entered the code multiple times and failed to force the WhatsApp system to contact the user about their verification code.
In this case, the scammer, pretending to be someone else, will contact the user asking for the code. If the user does not answer the automated call by WhatsApp and goes to the user’s voice mailbox, the fraudster will try to guess at random or ask for the user’s voice mailbox PIN code to access the recording, MCMC explained.
The watchdog also advised WhatsApp users to be suspicious of any attempt to obtain a six-digit verification code, and asked to remind them of the importance of not disclosing the code to others to prevent their accounts from being hijacked.
In addition users must also enable two-factor verification on WhatsApp and use a more complicated PIN number for their voice mailbox as an added security measure.
According to the FAQ by WhatsApp, users may be sent a verification code via SMS – even if it is not requested – for a number of reasons.
WhatsApp says this could happen because someone mistyped their own number, or a hacker tried to take over the person’s account. Without the code, the hacker will not be able to complete the verification process, which will prevent the account from being hijacked.
If your account has been stolen, you will need to log in to WhatsApp with your phone number and verify the phone number by entering the six-digit code received via SMS. After entering the six-digit SMS code, the person using your account will be logged out automatically.
You may also be asked to provide a two-step verification code. If you don’t know this code, the hijacker using your account may have enabled two-step verification. You’ll have to wait seven days before you can sign in without a two-step verification code, according to WhatsApp.
Source: cnbcindonesia.com
