Has it ever happened to you that you have received a message with a strange link on your WhatsApp or with a verification code that they request? In both cases, you should undoubtedly ignore it. Otherwise, you would be providing your data to the cybercriminal so that they can impersonate your identity and cause personal injury. We tell you everything you need to know about the new method that hackers are using to take over your privacy.
Identity theft is the order of the day and even more so with the evolution of technology, which can have its advantages but at the same time its drawbacks. In this context, cybercrime has grown by more than 70% in Spain in recent years, placing it as the country most attacked in Europe by hacker groups, according to the recent report by the software company specialized in cybersecurity, ESET.
The most common scams are being carried out through emails through so-called “phishing”, but now cybercriminals are becoming fond of stealing identities through other methods that are more common and used on a daily basis by users. We are talking about WhatsApp, an instant messaging communication medium that is already used by more than 2 billion people around the planet. Now, a new way has been detected to deceive people and it is neither more nor less than sending a message to the victim to their WhatsApp account to accept a verification code. We tell you what the procedure is to avoid falling into the trap.
Do not transfer your data through WhatsApp
There are times when we take for granted that we should not accept free gifts, click on strange links or offer personal data that could expose our identity, but on certain occasions we can be naïve and submit to the macabre techniques of cybercriminals without realizing it. account.
In this case, the Civil Guard of Navarra has warned of a case of scam that threatens our privacy. To prevent this type of altercations, there are some criteria that are essential so that your account is not stolen. For example, you can introduce a strong security system through two-step verification that is accompanied by a PIN number that only the user has.
How do cybercriminals act?
The formula consists of sending a message to the affected person’s mobile phone through the WhatsApp application, including the following text: “Hello, I’m sorry, I sent you a 6-digit code by SMS by mistake, can you pass it on to me?” , please? it is urgent”. According to the Navarrese authorities, the cybercriminal enters the victim’s number that he associates with the messaging app, in this case WhatsApp.
Consequently, the system sends an SMS to the person who owns that mobile number with a verification code that they have to enter in the application and confirm the operation. Automatically, the perpetrator poses as an acquaintance of the victim and asks her to provide him with the code that he has received, supposedly, by mistake because she urgently needs it.
Therefore, it is important that you do not transfer any data requested, as you would be compromising access to your WhatsApp account and, as a consequence, total control of your device.
