The six-figure texting scam is back on WhatsApp! Beware if an alleged friend contacts you asking you to send him the code you have just received: it is a scam to take over your account!
With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is a prime target for cybercriminals. Many crooks use the famous messaging service to set up scams aimed at stealing personal data, hacking devices or, more simply, extracting money. At the moment, it is the so-called “six-digit text message” scam that is resurfacing, as reported by our colleagues from the Internet user. A well-known technique, but still just as effective, to take over your account.
WhatsApp scam: get the verification code
It all starts with a message sent on WhatsApp by one of your contacts. A real contact, who communicates via his real account, and not an imitation. No reason to be wary a priori, especially since he starts the conversation in a completely banal way. Except that, during the chat, an eight-digit code is displayed on your device. Your friend tells you that he sent you a code by mistake and asks you to send it to him. What you should not do, of course! Because this code is actually an identification number allowing access to your account…
This is because every time you set up WhatsApp on a new device, the instant messenger will text you with a one-time six-digit code. Code that you must enter in the application to identify yourself on the device in question. Also, if you send the code to this alleged friend, WhatsApp thinks that you are legitimately trying to log into your account from a new smartphone. The scammer who recovers this verification code can then access your WhatsApp account – and all the associated information – and impersonate you to trick your real contacts and extract money from them via Paypal links.
If you find yourself in this situation, end the discussion immediately and tell the person concerned that they have been hacked – by phone or SMS, of course, not by WhatsApp!
To avoid being tricked, enable two-factor authentication by going to Settings, then “Account”, then “Two-Step Verification”, and finally “Enable”. This adds an extra layer of protection. If you have the slightest doubt regarding a request sent by one of your contacts, call them to be sure that it really comes from them. In any case, never share your account activation code – the famous six-digit code. Finally, report spam messages and block their sender. To do this, simply hold the message bubble, select “Report” and follow the instructions that appear.
