How to stop your WhatsApp being hacked – three steps to take right now

A WHATSAPP scam is said to be robbing victims of their entire WhatsApp Accounts.

The scam involves WhatsApp authentication codes, which many people who got a new phone for Christmas will require.

The scam involves changing over your WhatsApp to a different deviceCredit: Alamy

Cybersecurity company Check Point detected the scam occurring over the past few weeks.

According to Entrepreneur, Check Point’s Eusebio Nieva said: “The first thing to know about this cyber attack is that the main asset for the cybercriminal is to take advantage of the victim’s trust.

“It is for this reason that the way to carry out this attack is based on the fact that, previously, this cybercriminal has managed to attack one of the victim’s contacts in a matter of stealing all the phone numbers he had.”

When someone changes their phone and wands to upload their WhatsApp they’ll be sent an SMS authentication to their previous number.

Hackers could trick you into thinking you're talking to a friend — Hackers could trick you into thinking you’re talking to a friendCredit: Alamy

You’ll also be given the chance to modify this number.

That’s where cybercriminals step in.

They may contact WhatsApp pretending to be you and ask for a SMS authentication code to be sent to your number.

The hacker then takes control of one of your contact’s WhatsApp accounts and messages you pretending to be them.

The hacker will pretend that they’ve accidentally asked for the verification code to your number instead of their’s and will ask you to send it over.

You should never share the six-digit code with anyone.

They want to take your authentication code so they can upload your WhatsApp onto their device and steal your private messages.

The scam may seem pretty complicated but hackers are often willing to go to these lengths.

To protect yourself you need to follow these steps:

Never share a verification code with anyone.
Block unknown numbers without replying or providing personal information.
Remember officials from WhatsApp will never ask you to provide private information via WhatsApp messages, texts or a phone call.

WhatsApp – a quick history

Here’s what you need to know…

WhatsApp was created in 2009 by computer programmers Brian Acton and Jan Koum – former employees of Yahoo
It’s one of the most popular messaging services in the world
Koum came up with the name WhatsApp because it sounded like “what’s up”
After a number of tweaks the app was released with a messaging component in June 2009, with 250,000 active users
It was originally free but switched to a paid service to avoid growing too fast. Then in 2016, it became free again for all users
Facebook bought WhatsApp Inc in February 2014 for $19.3billion (£14.64bn)
The app is particularly popular because all messages are encrypted during transit, shutting out snoopers
As of 2020, WhatsApp has over 2billion users globally

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