A new scam on WhatsApp is affecting several users
In the last few days, a new scam has been detected on WhatsApp that is affecting several users. This type of fraud is on the rise and authorities and experts are issuing several alerts to get us all on our toes.
How this new WhatsApp scam works
According to computer scientist Toni Reboredo, scammers are taking advantage of the voicemail of users who have this option activated. In a TikTok video, Reboredo warns about this scam and teaches us how to identify it and avoid falling for it.
In one particular case, a Reboredo customer had voicemail activated on his mobile phone, although he did not use it or know about it. Taking advantage of this, a hacker installed WhatsApp on another device and used the customer’s phone number to get account confirmation.
The hacker called the customer’s voicemail at 4 a.m., when the customer was asleep and the phone was turned off. This allowed WhatsApp to record the confirmation number in the voicemail, since the voicemail did not have a password. Thus, the hacker was able to access the customer’s WhatsApp account and extract sensitive information from it.
They demand a ransom to recover the WhatsApp account
After falling victim to this fraud, the customer found himself in an even more complicated situation. According to Reboredo, the fraudsters demanded a ransom of 1,200 euros to return his WhatsApp account. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to contact the authorities or WhatsApp to resolve this situation.
To avoid these types of scams, it’s important to be vigilant and always keep your WhatsApp app up to date. It is also recommended to disable voicemail if it is not in use.
