WhatsApp Scam: OTP gives hackers access

Garima Kejriwal

April 8, 2021

With over two billion active monthly users, WhatsApp is the most recent target for hackers and scammers. Users are sent scam message through one of their contacts asking them to send a code, i.e., an OTP received in their inbox. It appears like a standard confirmation or verification code but isn’t. If they send out the six-digit code to their friends or contacts without confirming first, they can fall prey to a scam and end up getting their account hacked. This leaves the actual user logged out from their own WhatsApp account. The likelihood is that the contact requesting the code has also lost access to his/her account. While scams and phishing messages are prevalent, it is difficult to identify these because they appear to come from a familiar name in your contact list. WhatsApp scams aren’t new, but you can avoid and prevent them. The easiest way is to call your contact and confirm if they sent the code. Also, let them know that their account has been compromised if they didn’t send it. One must also enable two-factor authentication or two-step verification on their WhatsApp account.

Abridged fromIndia Today