There is a message that you should be very attentive to because it can put you and your contacts in danger. WhatsApp has become one of the favorite means of cybercriminals to commit crimes. The techniques are varied. From impersonating a brand that is giving something away to alleged calls by health authorities to corroborate the registration for the Covid-19 vaccine. But now at we are going to alert you to a new deception campaign that aims to steal your account.
As you must remember, a few weeks ago the new terms of service policy for the messaging app came into effect. This caused a lot of controversy around the world because many people, and even governments, saw the update as a privacy risk for users. Facebook had initially warned that it would send recurring messages to users who had not accepted the conditions before May 15, otherwise, it would begin to restrict the service. He then indicated that he would apply the changes, but would no longer limit the functions to those who did not accept them.
We explain all of the above because the scam is related precisely to the WhatsApp update. The criminals computing are making to reach users where a message ensures that the app is outdated and needs to corroborate that is in use for further use.
The message actually seems to come from the app's technical service. The contact image is the company logo and appears to come from an automated system. The message explains that WhatsApp will send a six-digit verification code to the cell phone that you must share if you want to continue enjoying the service.
Indeed, a few seconds after receiving the alert via WhatsApp, an SMS arrives on the potential victim's cell phone with a code to confirm the account. In that case, the message is sent by the company so the user trusts that they are telling the truth and has to send those six numbers.
The reality is that the criminal requested access to your WhatsApp account on another device. He only had to download the app and put it in your cell phone, the missing element was the verification code to be able to enter your chats and contacts.
What if you give them the code?
If you do not realize that they are actually trying to deceive you and send the code that came to you via SMS, the first thing you will see is a supposed confirmation message in which you make sure that your account is already up to date. However, just a few seconds later, you will see an alert explaining that your WhatsApp account is no longer linked to that device.
To recover your profile, you have to do is uninstall the app and download it again. Then follow the authentication process, enter your cell phone number and ask for the verification code. The bad news is that since this has just been requested and confirmed by someone else, you will have to wait around six hours, long enough for criminals to commit scams on your behalf.
Therefore, you must also be very careful with the messages you receive from your contacts. And the fact is that criminals take advantage of the fact that they already have access to your groups and contacts and begin to send them messages on your behalf stating that you have had an emergency, for example, an accident, and you need money urgently.
Since people recognize cell phone numbers and profile data, many are willing to help and deposit money to the account they are told without suspecting that they are actually being scammed.
So the recommendation is, first, to ignore a message that supposedly comes to you from WhatsApp, because it is not the way in which they contact their users, if you fall into the trap, try to notify as many people as possible. in your chat list. And, also, if you get to receive a message from one of your contacts where they urgently ask for money, it is better that you verify that it really is who they say they are through a call and other messaging apps.
Finally, we recommend that you tell your friends and family about this type of fraud so that they do not fall for it.