There is a new scam on WhatsApp: the so-called code trick ensures that your own account can be taken over.
- New WhatsApp scam
- Fraudsters ask for a code that comes via SMS
- You risk that your WhatsApp account will be transferred to the other smartphone
" Tobias Mathis " recently drove WhatsApp users into despair. Now users report that certain contacts require a verification code from them. This is a new fraud method on WhatsApp. Anyone who replies to the request and provides the contacts with the verification code can lose their own WhatsApp profile to the fraudsters .
WhatsApp code: ignore request
Therefore, you should ignore the message if possible. It is best to inform affected people about the impending danger. How do you recognize the mesh? Often the fraudsters introduce the message as follows: "Hey! Can you help for a moment? You will receive an SMS straight away. Can you send me the code in the message? "
WhatsApp code: loss of the account threatens
If the person concerned asks what the sender needs the code for, the fraudsters, for example, explain: "We need it for a competition in which you participated". Very dubious. If you lose your account, the crooks may be able to use it for their own purposes, i.e. their scam.
To effectively protect yourself from this and similar scams, you must never share such verification codes with anyone. The same applies here as for SMS tans in your online banking: the codes are only intended for you. If you are not sure whether a message really comes from one of your contacts, ask the person, for example, if the message was intentionally sent. Another security measure is to set the verification in two steps. The verification code is not sufficient to transfer the WhatsApp account, but a PIN code of your choice is also required. Of course, you must not share this with anyone.
WhatsApp code: This is to be done if you have lost your account
If you've already forwarded the code, you've probably already lost control of your WhatsApp account. In such cases, you should warn your contacts that your account has been hacked and the message is not from you. Via the menu item "WhatsApp: Stolen Accounts" you can have your account restored on WhatsApp and get it back.
WhatsApp code: that's behind it
The code is actually there to restore the WhatsApp profile . The code can also be used to transfer the account from one smartphone to another. Forward the code to the scammers to authenticate that your account will be transferred to the scammers' cell phones. The hack is reminiscent of a common scam in online banking, where crooks want to get TAN numbers for online banking of unsuspecting victims. Warning: the messenger has become less secure. Security gaps have increased in WhatsApp, and Facebook has also spoken out.
By Moritz Serif
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List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Arno Burgi / dp
