WHATSAPP users are being warned over a dangerous scam that could see your account hijacked and used for theft – and may even lead to your own cash being nabbed.
The warning comes as Brits face extra calls for online vigilance on Safer Internet Day, an annual event reminding web users about the risks of hacking and cyber crime.
According to cybersecurity boffs at McAfee, 46% of Brits have been – or know someone has has been – hacked and lost money as a result.
On average, £725 per person in lost to scammers across the UK.
And even popular apps like WhatsApp aren’t a safe haven, as this latest scam proves.
Scammers are hijacking the accounts of regular users, and then using the stolen WhatsApp profiles for a cunning ruse.
They’ll message you posing as your friend, asking for your WhatsApp verification code.
That’s the code you receive when you’re trying to register a WhatsApp account.
It’s how WhatsApp verifies that the phone number holder is the one trying to sign in – and not a fraudster.
But if you hand over your verification code, the scammer can steal your account.
Once hackers take control of your account, they can then use your profile to trick your own friends and family to obtain further codes.
Worryingly, the scam gets even more sinister.
Once scammers have some accounts under their control, they can trick a victim’s friends or family into transferring money or sending gift cards.
These gift cards can then be sold online, which effectively allows fraudsters to launder their cash – and make off with clean takings.
According to the Straits Times, 10 people have already been conned out of money in Singapore thanks to this scam.
If you receive a request from someone to hand over your verification code, always refuse – because there’s no reason they would ever need it.
And if a verification code turns up in your inbox, don’t panic: scammers can’t get into your account unless you send the code to them.
“You were most likely sent the code because someone entered your number when trying to register in WhatsApp,” WhatsApp explains.
“Without the verification code, the user who is verifying the number will not be able to complete the verification process and use their WhatsApp with that number.”
Always be suspicious of anyone asking you to transfer money or send gift cards in WhatsApp.
If a friend or family member asks, try to verify the request on a different messaging service – or better still, over the phone or in person.
That way, you can be sure you’re not lining the coffers of a con artist.
“People need to wake up to the real threats they currently face be it due to their online activity or someone else’s,” said Raj Samani, Chief Scientist at McAfee.
“Safer Internet Day shines a light on the most critical issues facing people today, protecting what matters to them in a hyper-connected world.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to educate each other – we need to share knowledge and collaborate to protect ourselves against the current threats we face as people living in a connected world.
“The outcomes are set to worsen, as criminals become more sophisticated and target every aspect of our lives from the connected home, to our children’s toys, right through to our medical records and fitness trackers.
“Therefore, we all need to take action before it is too late.”
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Do you think your cybersecurity is up to scratch? Let us know in the comments!
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News Photo Safer Internet Day 2019 WARNING as WhatsApp scam hijacks your account – and tricks family members into handing over cash
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