A scam from the past that gives hackers access to private conversations and the ability to leave WhatsApp users blocked from all their messages appears to have returned.
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This scam first appeared at the end of last year, with users being targeted by a fake text message claiming to be from a friend who needs help with a six‑digit password. Now this threat appears to have returned.
A WhatsApp user said: “3 members of my family lost access to their WhatsApp this morning! Hackers send a text message from WA with a verification code and then a WhatsApp message from someone you know saying they desperately need the code. DO NOT SEND THE CODE OR CLICK THE LINK. “
What should you watch out for?
The new message is simple but extremely effective. It all starts with a message, appearing to come from a friend or contact, that says, “Hi, sorry, I sent you a 6-digit code by mistake, can you please resend it to me? Is it urgent?”
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This may seem quite harmless, but it is a clever way to access your account. You may not know that whenever you upgrade your smartphone, WhatsApp will ask to verify your identity, using your phone number before it allows you to access any conversations that create backups in the cloud. This is the six-digit code that hackers need to gain access to your account.
To verify the identity of the person trying to log in to your WhatsApp, the Facebook -owned company will send a randomly generated six-digit code via text message to the phone number registered to the account.
Users often see this code appear on their device and then receive the text from the “friend” who requests it. Without even thinking about it, they forward it without realizing they are granting full access to the account and their conversations.
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Speaking about the scam, Ray Walsh, Digital Privacy Expert at ProPrivacy, said: “WhatsApp users should be on the lookout for a worrying new scam that allows cybercriminals to hack into their WhatsApp accounts. Anyone who receives a message with a PIN code should be extremely cautious because this is how the attack begins. After receiving the unexpected OTP code, the attacker will send the victim an instant message claiming to be a friend or contact. They will then ask to forward the code, claiming that they sent it by mistake.”
Be always careful of any text messages that contain codes and never forward them or any other information to anyone who asks you for them.
