If you use WhatsApp, you should be aware of a scam that allows criminals to take over your account with just a phone call. Users of the messaging app are being cautioned to block and delete as well as report such calls.
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Remote access
According to a cybersecurity expert and founder of CloudSEK, Rahul Sasi, the scam makes it possible for hackers to access your WhatsApp account remotely without you realizing it. In a Facebook post cited by The Times of India, Sasi explained that the scam involves scammers calling random WhatsApp users and prompting to dial another number.
Once you do, they will redirect you to a service request line of your mobile service provider which then triggers a call forwarding feature. Unbeknownst to you the user, this simple action means you have forwarded all your calls to the hacker’s number. The hackers then log you out of your account and at this point, they can register your account using their own phone, thereby controlling it.
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Be aware
These scammers operate under a fall sense of urgency. No matter how pressing they might make it seem, always take your time to verify certain information before taking any action. Sasi explained how this particularly scam is can be easy to fall for:
The same trick can be used to hack anyone’s WhatsApp account if the attacker has physical access to your phone and has permission to make a call. Every country and service provider has a similar service request number, so this trick works globally.
As the scam is targeting WhatsApp users, be circumspect in the calls you receive on that platform. If you were targeted by these scammers, you are advised to report them on WhatsApp by going to Settings and reporting the number under Action Fraud.
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