Around 3.2 million numbers of the WhatsApp messaging app and user IDs of Belgian users have been stolen by cybercriminals and put up for sale on a forum in dark weba hidden internet network used for illegal and criminal activities. The alert about this “major data breach” was issued by Safeonwebthe Belgian website that informs citizens about cybersecurity.
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This theft leads to an increased risk of scams targeting the owners of these phone numbers.
The situation “potentially exposes these users to various cybersecurity risks,” Safeonweb said, which learned of the number spoofing through a “sample of this data available on the dark web».
“The aim of the forum is to attract buyers,” Michele Rignanese, spokesperson for Safeonweb, told Belgian radio station RTL.
The organization therefore warns that users who own these numbers could be victims of scam attempts. “When you have a phone number and a WhatsApp ID, you can link a number to a person. This allows you to carry out a scam via WhatsApp, by phone or even by SMS. A naive person can be manipulated and led to reveal personal and/or financial information,” it explains.
Once in the criminals’ possession, this list allows them to send an automated message “to 100,000 users at the same time, and one or two will fall for it,” she adds.
How to protect yourself?
Belgian residents who use WhatsApp must now be more wary of messages from unknown sources, those that appear out of the blue or even those pretending to be family members or acquaintances, warns Safeonweb.
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Another tip is to “enable two-factor authentication, which adds a layer of security to your WhatsApp account.” Finally, “avoid sharing confidential information via WhatsApp, text messages, or phone calls,” the organization advises.
So far, there have been no indications of fraud attempts using these stolen and exposed numbers.
What is the dark web?
This term refers to network servers available on the Internet that are only accessible to users with specific knowledge or authorization. They thus provide a high level of anonymity to those who publish and view this content, including hackers.
