As WhatsApp is one of the most widely used communication services in the world, it is only natural that it is one of the most preferred targets for hackers. The latest scam aims to steal users’ accounts without them realizing it.
The discovery was made by security firm CloudSEK. Their findings reveal a new lure used by criminals with the aim of gaining control of victims’ WhatsApp accounts.
New vulnerability allows you to completely control your WhatsApp account
The latest threat to the security of WhatsApp users is a new scheme to take control of any account. Hackers can do this by tricking users with a simple voice call.
THE modus operandi used is quite simple. Hackers randomly call WhatsApp users and try to convince them to call a specific number.
Using some of the most popular callsigns in the world, victims are easily convinced that the call will be safe and legitimate. Unfortunately, this is a number that allows hackers to take control of any WhatsApp account.
By making the requested call, the criminals take control of the targeted account without the legitimate account holders noticing. From here, you can do whatever you want with the account in question.
The main objective of this scheme is to obtain financial benefits from the contacts of the victims’ accounts. The most used targets are professional WhatsApp accounts to collect money from the most inattentive customers.
Another preferred target of hackers is cryptocurrencies, especially after WhatsApp has included support for them. It did so at the end of 2021 with the integration of the Novi digital wallet in this communications platform.
Given these findings, there are two precautions users can take to protect themselves and their contacts. First, avoid answering calls from unknown numbers.
Second, enable two-factor authentication. In this way, every time someone tries to log into your WhatsApp account, they will need a code that will be sent to them.