The latest WhatsApp scam has managed to deceive a good number of users. For this very reason, even the official Twitter of the Civil Guard warns us of the danger that we may run if we fall into the trap of this message that we can receive through the instant messaging application itself.
In fact, it is not the first time that cybercriminals have managed to deceive people and the Civil Guard has made this type of statement. However, by falling into the trap of this last method that they are using, we run the risk of not only taking control of our account, but also stealing all kinds of personal information, such as bank details. As long as you have provided them through the messaging app
The scam with the WhatsApp message
If one day you receive a WhatsApp message, in which they ask you for a 6-digit code that they have sent you by SMS, you should not fall into the trap. A user that you do not have saved in the messaging app will write to you and say the following: “Hello. Sorry, I sent you a 6-digit code by SMS by mistake, can you send it to me? It is urgent”. However, the urgent thing here is that you do not fall for this scam, since you could be in great danger.
More than anything, because if you provide the verification code that has been intentionally sent to you by text message, you will make it easier for that third party to control your WhatsApp account on their device. And with this, you could run the risk of obtaining personal information that you have sent through the messaging app, not only images and videos, but other sensitive data. In addition to that you will have full access to all the contacts you have saved and the groups you have in the application.
What does it consist of?
Basically, they send us a six-digit code by SMS that is the verification code to change the WhatsApp account of the smartphone. Simple as that. Therefore, if you receive an SMS with an app code and you have not requested it, ignore it. And much less give it to a third person who has requested it.
More than anything, because by giving it to them we will be giving them control of our WhatsApp account on their mobile. And, therefore, we run the risk of not being able to recover it easily and of having personal data, images, videos, etc. stolen from us. In addition, there is the factor that this third person knows your number, so it is an added danger that we must take into account, since the only thing that separates the cybercriminal from taking control of our account is that verification code.
In these cases, the ideal is to block the number that you have not spoken on WhatsApp, since it is a cybercriminal whose only objective is to defraud users of the messaging app. In addition, it is also advisable to report it within the application itself so that the app takes it into account and blocks it permanently.
