Lately, we are hearing more and more about WhatsApp users that malicious elements have managed to steal their personal account.
The procedure is actually very simple and unfortunately this is also what makes it very popular: the thief attaches to the smartphone in his hand the phone number of the WhatsApp account he wants to steal, resulting in a message being sent to the real account holder with the 6 digit verification code to be entered to complete The action.
The attacker’s next step is to send a message asking the victim to give him the code, a message “Hello I’m sorry I sent you a 6 digit code by mistake. Can you please send it to me? It’s urgent.”
As soon as the attacker enters the code on his device, your WhatsApp will appear with him, and you will be disconnected from your account. The risks are many, once a foreigner has access to your WhatsApp, he can impersonate you in front of friends, and even contact your contacts who are in the groups of which you are a member.
Through classical social engineering, the attacker can impersonate you and ask your friends for help, say he is in trouble or a problem. The likelihood that one of your contacts will call for help is higher than that of complete strangers.
Below are some recommendations from the information security company ESET
For ways to prevent theft of the account:
- Never share your personal code – Not even with friends or family.
- Turn off SMS preview – To prevent viewing the code if you are not near the device.
- Do not leave the device unattended.
- Activate WhatsApp’s two-step verification mechanism – It is easy to use and can prevent the success of the attack. When registering for 2-step verification, you will need to create your own 6-digit code that will be used by you when accessing the account. If you are already in the settings stage, we have also updated your email address so that if you have forgotten your personal code, you can recover it
pay attention – If you suspect that someone is using your account, notify friends, family and groups of which you are a member, so that they do not fall victim to the impersonation of the same person to you.
If this still happens, and you have passed the code to someone who has just stolen your account, you can follow these steps:
I was hacked into WhatsApp. What are we doing? How to recover a stolen WhatsApp account?
- Delete the app Of WhatsApp and reinstall it with your phone number.
- Verify the phone number By entering the 6-digit code you received. Once you enter the code you received in the SMS, the person who is currently using your account will be automatically disconnected from it. And you can go back to using your account.
- You may be asked in the process Also provide two-step verification code. If you have not defined such a code, it could be that the person who is currently using your account has actually activated it. In this case, you will have to wait 7 days before you can log in to your account without the 2-step verification code.
In any case, if you do not have such a code, the other person will be disconnected from your account as soon as you enter the 6-digit code you received in the SMS and thus prevent it from accessing your account.