The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued a clear warning about the increasing hacking of WhatsApp accounts, with a special emphasis on targeting women’s accounts.
According to the FIA spokesperson, cybercriminals use sophisticated techniques such as phishing and social engineering to gain unauthorized access to users’ personal information.
In the last week, there has been a significant increase in reports of hacked WhatsApp accounts. Attackers access private chats, photos and videos from stolen accounts and use them for blackmail and exploitation purposes.
Phishing tactics used by these cybercriminals often include phishing messages designed to trick users into revealing personal information or clicking on malicious links. Social engineering techniques make it easy to log in, and female users are equally affected by these attacks.
FIA has given some recommendations to protect WhatsApp accounts from such attacks:
- Enable two-step verification: This security feature adds an extra layer of protection to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
- Be careful with unknown messages: Avoid opening messages, photos, videos or files from unknown or suspicious numbers, as they may contain malicious links or malware.
- Update your privacy settings regularly: Reviewing and updating your WhatsApp privacy settings can limit access to your personal information.
In the unfortunate event that your WhatsApp account is hacked, FIA recommends taking the following emergency measures:
- Contact the FIA Hotline 1991: Report the incident or visit your nearest FIA Cybercrime for assistance.
- Contact WhatsApp Support: Contact WhatsApp to manage your account and prevent unauthorized access.
- Notify your contacts: Notify your close friends, family members and colleagues about claims to prevent your account from being misused for fraudulent activities.
