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Under the guise of account security, criminals try to gain control of your WhatsApp account. This can have far-reaching consequences.
Bremen – Fraudsters use a variety of methods to obtain personal information. These include account logins, telephone numbers and bank details. This data is then either sold on to other criminals or used to force the fraud victims to make payments – or, in the case of stolen bank details, to empty the account themselves. The methods used Fraud schemes are becoming more sophisticated and are often barely recognizable.
watchlist-internet.atan Austrian information platform on Internet fraud, is currently warning of a new scam in which criminals WhatsApp-Contact users via SMS and pretend to be the WhatsApp security center. Anyone who follows the link sent to them gives the scammers access to their own account and thus also all contacts, pictures, chats and all personal information shared in them.
In a new scam from Austria, criminals are hijacking WhatsApp accounts. © Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/IMAGO
Information website from Austria warns of scam – criminals contact WhatsApp users via SMS
The criminals contact their victims with this message: “The WhatsApp Security Center has determined that your account is at risk. Please go to the official Security Center to verify.” Below is a link that supposedly leads to the WhatsApp Security Center. In fact, however, it is a fake website.
On this page, WhatsApp users are first asked to enter their phone number linked to WhatsApp, reports watchlist-internet.at It then says: “The official security center has detected unusual fluctuations in your account.” To restore the security of your account and prevent it from being blocked, you should follow the further instructions.
WhatsApp fake SMS scam gives criminals access to accounts
Of course, the criminals have no intention of protecting their victims. Instead, they use this method to connect another smartphone to the victim’s WhatsApp account. This gives them access to the entire account and can even lock out the actual owner.
watchlist-internet.at suspects that the fraudsters are extracting phone numbers, photos and personal information from the hijacked accounts. In addition, contacts could be contacted in the name of the fraud victims and thus become victims themselves, warns the information platform.
A typical WhatsApp conversation of a scam
Protection against WhatsApp scams: How to recognize them and react correctly in an emergency
WhatsApp itself is also aware that criminals are always targeting its users. The company therefore warns on its website and provides Tips on how to recognize common scams:
- The message contains grammatical or spelling errors.
- The message is about a lottery, a game of chance, a job, an investment or a loan.
- You will be asked to open a link, activate new features via a link, or download an app.
- You will be asked to share personal information (eg: phone number, credit card or account number, passwords, etc.)
- You are asked to forward a message.
- You are asked to make a payment or it claims that you have to pay to use WhatsApp.
- The criminals claim to know you.
- The person starts a conversation with you to gain your trust before asking you for personal information.
Those: WhatsApp
Have you fallen victim to rip-offs or fraud? You should know these tips
If it is already too late and the fraudsters already have access to your account, you need to act quickly. In the best case scenario, the fraud attempt will be noticed before the criminals can lock you out of your account. Then the linked device can simply be removed again. This can be done under Settings > Linked devices. Select the relevant device here and click on “Log out”.
If you no longer have access to your account, connect.deadhere to the WhatsApp-Support This can help you regain control of your own account. In both cases, all WhatsApp contacts should be informed that the account was or is in the hands of a fraudster. (sp)
