The announcement published by the Cyberspace Defense Forces emphasized that recently there has been an increase in computer security incidents related to WhatsApp. Attention was paid to the high risk of phishing attacks that can lead to loss of control over the account.
According to information provided by WOC, cybercriminals use the acquired user accounts to send crafted messages to their friends. In this way, they impersonate real account owners, which increases the effectiveness of fraud.
How do hackers work on WhatsApp?
Cyberspace defense troops explained that the main goal of the attackers is to obtain access data to accounts and obtain unauthorized access. Then they try to extort money from people from the victim's contacts, using the trust they have the account owner.
The WOC announcement states that the acquired accounts are then used to further send phishing messages. In this way, the attackers can expand the scale of fraud and reach subsequent potential victims.
- first it is A false request for voting – the message usually comes from a friend or family member (from the taken account) and contains a request to vote in the competition;
- Then it is phishing link – the message contains a malicious link leading to a false page;
- They are still Linking of the account -the site urges you to provide the phone number and enter the 8-real verification code, allegedly in order to “confirm the voice”;
- The next step is take over the account – After entering the code, there is a takeover over the victim's WhatsApp account by the attacker.
Recommendations for users
The army appeals to WhatsApp users to exercise special caution when using the messenger. It is recommended not to provide anyone with your login data and do not click into suspicious links sent even by familiar people. It is also worth enabling additional safeguards, such as two -stage verification to make it difficult to take over the account by unauthorized persons.
WOC reminds that cyber criminals are constantly improving their methods and use the trust between messenger users. Therefore, every unusual request for money or data should arouse vigilance and be verified by a different communication channel.
If you suspect that the account has been taken over, contact WhatsApp and inform your friends about a possible threat as soon as possible.
