WhatsApp hacking is one of the new ways that hackers are using to manipulate people. It is an urgent need to highlight some of the ways hackers are targeting people and some of the methods you can use to protect yourself. Collective attention is required to generate awareness of this new emerging issue of WhatsApp hacking.
Currently, things have worsened for victims, and the amount of money hackers seem to earn from scamming people has gone up.
The real incidents of scam
Recently, Shantanu Gupta, a renowned author and political observer, and founder of The Ramayana School, found himself the victim of an intricate hack of his WhatsApp account while on a train.
“Around 10 AM, my WhatsApp self logged in and logged out repeatedly, something I had never experienced before. It looked as if a hacker was trying to access my account from a different device and was not able to succeed,” Gupta shared his experience with Indian Express.
To capture his voice-based Time Password (OTP), the hacker used call forwarding and then began the process of configuring WhatsApp on another device. Alarmingly, cell phone service provider Day’s Gupta, depending on them, bypassed the verification step and notification that redirecting such an important call goes to ‘Mr. Gupta.
The escalation was swift; messages asking for money were sent to his wife, family, and friends. Only through social media and immediate police action were they able to control the situation.
As soon as Gupta realized that his WhatsApp had been hacked, he immediately started sending messages to his friends and family through other social media platforms to ensure that no one fell for the trap. Though Gupta managed to recover his account within a few hours with help from the Noida police, the damage was done. Gupta went through hours of stress, while his reputation was also at risk.
Gupta expressed his resentment toward both Meta and his network provider, Airtel. Within a couple of hours, hundreds of messages asking for money were sent from his account, yet Meta failed to initiate the suspicious activity. “If there’s unusual activity in my bank account, I can immediately call my bank. But with Meta? Where do I go? There is no helpline, no support. All I could do was wait four hours and hope I could log back in” he said.
Gupta expresses his frustration, “How does WhatsApp not have an algorithm to detect when someone is repeatedly using terms like UPI’s and money in a short span?” he said.
Equally frustrated with Airtel for allowing call forwarding without verification, Gupta said, “if my network provider can block spam calls, why can’t they prevent voice OTP hijacking?”
Gupta advised other people to be alert and to install two-factor authentication on WhatsApp. He also suggested that iPhone users to activate ‘lockdown mode’ Is security settings to prevent unauthorized device linking.
Another case of WhatsApp hack
Manish (name changed), another WhatsApp user, has been facing a strange issue for a week now. Every night, it seems someone else takes control of his WhatsApp account. In the morning, he requests a review from WhatsApp and regains access.
During the night, unusual activity occurs—several WhatsApp groups are created using his number, but he has no idea who the members are. None of their numbers are saved in his contacts. Deleting these groups has become part of his morning routine.
Despite enabling two-factor authentication, nothing seems to work. Manish has finally decided to register a complaint at a local police station.
How WhatsApp accounts get hacked
According to Gautam Kumawat, professional hacker and founder of HackingFlix, WhatsApp hacking is a growing threat, and attackers use social engineering, technical exploits, and SIM-based attacks to hijack accounts.
Here are some common hacking methods:
- OTP phishing: Scammers impersonate trusted contacts or WhatsApp support, tricking users into sharing their six-digit verification code.
- SIM swapping: Attackers use a new SIM card for a victim’s number, allowing them to take over WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp Web hijacking: If an attacker gains brief access to a victim’s phone, they can link the account to WhatsApp Web and maintain remote access.
- Call merging scam: A scammer calls you, claiming they got your number from a mutual friend. They then ask you to merge the call with another number, supposedly the ‘friend’. Once merged, you unknowingly connect with an automated WhatsApp OTP verification call. The scammer hears the OTP and gains access to your account.
How to identify the red flags
Users are advised to look out for the following signs of hacking:
- Receiving a WhatsApp verification code without requesting one A friend or contact asking for your OTP Unexpected logouts from your WhatsApp account.
- A notification that your number is registered on a new device
- Users should never click on suspicious links or share OTPs. In cyberspace, users should follow a zero-trust policy; no one should be trusted blindly. Also, the user should never hand over the device or digital data to anyone.