A new form WhatsApp OTP scam is being reported where the hacker hacks into your friend’s account and sends you personalised messages to access your account.
WhatsApp is currently one of the world’s most popular multiplatform messaging app, and being famous it also is prone to various forms of manipulations with an aim to target various users of the app.
A new form of scam is surfacing where the hacker hacks into your friend’s account and sends you personalised messages to access your account.
How this scam works?
In the WhatsApp OTP scam, the hacker sends you a message claiming to be your friend. To grab your immediate attention, the fraudster describes some kind of emergency.
After providing assurance of being your friend, the hacker will ask for an OTP, who the scamster describes as an accidental forward. The scammers will send multiple messages to lure you to forward the OTP.The hacker wants to access your WhatsApp account through OTP validation. The moment you will share the OTP with the fraudster, you will be locked out of your WhatsApp account and the hacker will have the full access to your messages, contacts and groups.
The hacker may also request monetary help from your dear ones. The chain of event gets multiplied once the scammer hacks into your account.
Two-factor authentication on WhatsApp comes in handy for users who would want to prevent falling prey to these type of scams. The rule of thumb to prevent these type of frauds is to never share your OTP or personal information with anyone.
