The latest WhatsApp scam involves hackers hijacking your WhatsApp account with just one phone call. Read on to know more about it…
Cybercrime is infiltrating every aspect of our life, whether it’s through email, SMS, bank account logins, or social media. And, guess what? WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform, has evolved into a new platform for cyber fraud. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platform in the world. Because of its large user base, it has also become a haven for scammers and hackers that engage in malicious activities.
WhatsApp Scams
WhatsApp scams are all too common these days, with hackers employing new ways to target unsuspecting users into giving up sensitive data from their mobile phone, particularly when it comes to bank accounts. Hackers have now discovered a new method that is even more sinister. According to the latest WhatsApp scam, hackers can take control of your WhatsApp account with simply a phone call. That’s all there is to it! Yes, you that’s correct! Cybercriminals can have access to your WhatsApp account with just a phone call.
The New WhatsApp Scam
A new fraud currently targeting random WhatsApp users, according to a recent report by Gizchina, citing cybersecurity firm CloudSEK, allows an attacker to entirely take control of their WhatsApp account with just a phone call. After gaining control of a WhatsApp account, an attacker might demand money from the user’s WhatsApp contacts.
Rahul Sasi, the founder and CEO of CloudSEK, has discovered the new WhatsApp scam. According to Sasi, the hacker’s main goal is to call an unwary WhatsApp user at random and persuade them to dial a specific number. Unfortunately, if a unsuspecting user phones the number as told by the attacker, they will be logged out of their WhatsApp account, allowing the hacker to take control.
This isn’t the first time a WhatsApp scam has been discovered. Last year, we witnessed a number of WhatsApp scams, including one that allowed an attacker to remotely take complete control a user’s device. Hence, the existence of the new fraud is unsurprising.
Modus Operandi
On Twitter, Sasi described the entire attack scenario in the following way.
“First, you receive a call from the attacker who will convince you to make a call to the following number **67*<10 digit number> or *405*<10 digit number>. Within a few minutes, your WhatsApp would be logged out, and the attackers would get complete control of your account.”
Sasi further explained “Once the hacker gains access to the account, he demands money from the victim’s contacts. In this way, the hacker scams the victim’s WhatsApp contacts even before the latter realizes that he has lost control of his account. As service providers around the world, use numbers beginning with ’67’ or ‘405’; victims tend to make the call without hesitation,”
The number dialed by victims, according to CloudSEK’s founder, is a service request for Airtel and Reliance Jio ‘call forwarding’ for when your phone line is busy or engaged. The victims’ calls are then be forwarded to a phone number that belongs to the scamsters. Meanwhile, the attackers begin the WhatsApp signup process by selecting “the option to send OTP through phone call.” According to Sasi, the OTP will now be sent to the attacker’s phone. Finally, the attacker is able to get complete access to the victims’ WhatsApp account using this method.
The identical method, according to the security researcher, may be used to gain access to anyone’s WhatsApp account.
This method can also have a global impact because every country and service provider uses fairly similar service request numbers.
Mitigation
There is currently no way to mitigate this fraud other than to avoid unknown WhatsApp calls. Scammers will attempt to contact you unexpectedly. The easy trick is to avoid answering calls from or making calls to unknown numbers.
Don’t be caught in the trap! If the hackers ask you to dial a phone number or provide personal or financial information, never do so. If you become aware of a fraud or a hacker, report them. You may also report directly through WhatsApp by going to Settings – Help and then Contact Us. Explain your problem and report the scam there.
As a user, you should be aware of these scams at all times and alert other people in your fraternity. It is recommended that you share this information with your friends and family to inform them about the latest WhatsApp scam and to warn them not to accept any unexpected calls from suspicious numbers.