The Six-Step Guide To Protecting Your WhatsApp Account From Hackers
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has issued a six-step guide to protecting one’s WhatsApp account following increasing reports of unauthorised access and online scams perpetrated through the takeover of social media accounts particularly, WhatsApp.
The Authority says compromised social media accounts are used to commit fraudulent activities such as investment fraud, online shopping scams, job recruitment scams, romance scams, and solicitation of funds, among others.
How Accounts Are Hacked
The CSA recounts that a potential victim would either receive a call from an unknown number, or a message from a friend (whose social media account may have been compromised) requesting the victim to share a one-time password (OTP) (usually a 6-digit verification code) sent to the victim’s number as a text message.
The scammers apply social engineering, typically creating a sense of emergency
and request for the OTP which was sent to the victim.
The victim would thereafter lose access to the account after providing the scammers with the verification code.
“The scammers, after gaining access to the victim’s account then target persons
and groups on the victim’s contact list as the next potential victims. Through this the scammers would impersonate the victim’s friends and promote other fraudulent activities or solicit funds. The scammers’ request would be on the pretext of helping them to join online groups such as work or school groups or sign up and claim prizes for fake lucky draws allegedly conducted or joined”.
How To Protect Your WhatsApp Account Using ‘Two-Step Verification’
- Open WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
- Enter a six-digit PIN of your choice and confirm it.
- Provide a valid email address you have access to or tap Skip.
Note: Providing the email address is recommended. Otherwise if you forget your PIN, you will have to wait 7 days before you can reset it. - Tap Next.
- Confirm the email address and tap Save or Done.
In protecting yourself from Online Fraud, the CSA also recommends that you:
▪ Never share your social media application account verification codes with anyone.
▪ Protect all your social media application accounts by enabling the ‘Two-Step Verification’ or ‘Two-Factor authentication (2FA)’ feature. Be aware of who has physical access to your phone. If someone has physical access to your phone, they can use your account without your permission.
▪ Do NOT be impulsive – Beware of unusual requests from strangers or even your social media contacts.
▪ Do NOT believe – Be wary of claims that you have won a prize, especially if you have not participated in any campaign or lucky draw. Check official websites to determine whether the lucky draw offers are legitimate. Always verify the authenticity of the request by contacting your friend, but do not do so through the social media platform as the account might have been taken over by scammers.
▪ Do NOT give – Do not transfer money or give out your personal information, bank account or credit/debit card details, and One-Time Password (OTP) to anyone, including family and friends.
▪ If you are contacted by anyone claiming to have images and/or videos of you of an intimate nature requesting a payment in exchange for not releasing them to the public, report it immediately to the CSA’s Cybersecurity/Cybercrime Incident Reporting Points of Contact for guidance. Do NOT make any payments.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
