WhatsApp is an immensely popular instant messaging app which is now being used by everyone across the globe and has now been hit by a new scam that lets access to a user’s WhatsApp account, therefore, letting hackers hack your profile. The hackers have found a new way to attack and dupe the user, they will pretend to be your friend and send you a text message containing an OTP. If you share that code this will grant them access to your WhatsApp account. So today we are here to help you keep your profile safe from hackers.
It let the hackers grant access to the user’s account posing a big threat. So, it is very important for you to know how they are doing this to get access to your personal information.
The WhatsApp scamsters are using the OTP as their new way to steal your private data and even your hard-earned money. When we enable a new WhatsApp account on our device, we are required to provide a valid mobile number through the instant messaging platform using its two-factor authentication (2FA) to verify the user. Theis 2FA is now posing as the biggest threat and they pretend to be your friend or a family member. They will try to reach you through any other social media platform and will send an OTP on your device. They then request you for an OTP stating some sort of emergency. For instance, they would say that the friend’s account has been logged out of their account and require your OTP to log in again.
By chance, if you share your OTP with the scamster this will now only let them grant access to your account but also leave you logged out of your own personal WhatsApp account while giving them full access to your account and unfortunately multiple-device support is not yet available on the platform.
It should be noted that WhatsApp never sends you OTP just casually. And you get an OTP never ever share the OTP with someone known or unknown as someone is trying to get access to your account and if you share the hacker will get full access to your messages, contacts and your personal media. In a similar way, they will try to dupe someone in your contact list by asking for monetary help.
However, if you have mistakenly shared your OTP with the hacker, immediately reset your WhatsApp account. Secondly, you can also enable two-factor authentication on WhatsApp.
How to enable two-factor authentication to safeguard yourself from WhatsApp OTP scam:
- Open WhatsApp on your device and tap on the three dots on the top right corner
- Open settings and then click on Account
- Now tap on Two-step verification and enable the option
- On enabling it you will be asked to enter a six-digit pin
- You need to enter the pin twice, followed by your email address
- On confirming your email address, the two-step verification gets enabled and you can also disable it by changing the pin.
- Notably, you will be asked to enter your password frequently whenever you open WhatsApp.
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