July 10, 2020, Brazil. In this photo illustration the WhatsApp logo seen displayed on a smartphone
There is a new scam that is likely to target WhatsApp users. The messaging application, one of the most used in the world, is often the focus of various cyber fraud attempts and the last one seems to be very dangerous. To discover the existence of this scam was RahulSasi, founder and CEO of Cloud SEk, a company specializing in IT security services. Here’s how this new scam works:
All the details on the new WhatsApp scam
The scam targeting WhatsApp users is carried out over the phone. The scammer calls the victim and deceives her to a enter the code ** 67 * or * 405 * followed by a 10-digit number. In this way, you are logged out of the user’s account with the scammer who can take control of it. The scammer’s goal will then be to ask for a ransom to unlock the account.
The mechanism of the scam
The scam mechanism is simple. The code entered activates call forwarding to a number in the possession of the scammer who will use this function for start a WhatsApp account registration process, removing control from the user (engaged in the call with the same scammer). The OTP confirmation code is sent to the number of the scammer who can then complete the procedure and steal the victim’s account.
To prevent this type of scam, it is advisable to activate two-step verification for your WhatsApp account. By doing this, an additional layer of protection is added that will stop scammers from attempting to steal your account.