Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

21 November 2024

3-minute read

The rising surge of WhatsApp account hacks has prompted cell-phone service provider MTN to launch an awareness campaign, encouraging individuals to report hacks. Speaking to Ml Sulaimaan Ravat on Sabahul Muslim, acting spokesperson for MTN Bradley Swanepoel confirmed that many people have recently been targets of WhatsApp scamming.

Bradley said that scammers employ a “sophisticated approach”, using a modus operandi that is not easily detectable. They create an artificial WhatsApp profile that looks genuine and initiate a chat with a potential victim on WhatsApp, creating a sense of urgency by telling you that your account has been hacked and requesting your PIN to stop the hacking. Once you key your PIN into the chat, your account is open to them.

Another tactic hackers use is to call you directly as an operator and ask for your PIN, stating that your account has been hacked. Alternatively, scammers reach out to you from a broader WhatsApp group that you are a member of, getting the link to join the group, or accessing it via a SIM swap, thereby gaining access to WhatsApp groups and extracting information around customer names and numbers. Additionally, they can post malicious links to deploy spyware on your device when hacking your phone. More recently, scammers have been encouraging targets to download WhatsApp Gold, a new version of WhatsApp, by special invitation, which is a fraudulent scheme.

To protect your WhatsApp account from getting hacked, you should:

1. Enable a 2-step verification process in WhatsApp settings to add a PIN. Use a more complex PIN instead of the typical ones or one derived from your date of birth.
2. Beware of fake messages – never share verification PINS with others, even when the message appears to be from WhatsApp or a trusted source.
3. Avoid PINS that give access to your banking apps and accounts.

If your WhatsApp has been hacked, you should:

1. Re-install WhatsApp using Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
2. Enter your details.
3. Verify your account with the authentication code you receive.
4. Report to WhatsApp through their in-app support.
5. Notify friends and family that you were a victim of hacking so that they know it’s not you who are using your WhatsApp.

The signs that your account has been hacked is where you’ve been logged out of your WhatsApp or your data no longer works or that you have no service, particularly when the hackers use SIM swops. Hackers use sim swops when targeting prepaid customers in order to get OTP’s to target bank accounts.

In certain instances, hackers can also institute the 2-step verification themselves, in which case you should reach out to WhatsApp to resolve the issue.

The final point of call if your account has been hacked is your service provider who can be contacted either through the WhatsApp call centre or by going into the store.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat on Sabahul Muslim.