08/05/2021 1:20 PM
Clarín.com
Technology
Updated 08/05/2021 1:20 PM
The cybersecurity company ESET has raised the alarm about a
new viral scam
that has
as its protagonist
.
The attack detected in the last hours seeks to
rob users of their account by sending a fraudulent SMS
.
The cybercriminals behind the threat
pose
as WhatsApp technical support
and contact the user through an SMS message to inform them that their phone number, the one linked to this service, was registered in a new account.
Next, and to verify that the person they are contacting is the owner of the account, digital criminals ask you to resend a
six-digit
security code
that you will receive via SMS.
If the victim sends the
six-digit code to verify your identity you will have completely lost control over your WhatsApp account and cybercriminals will be able to
log in with your phone number
.
Basically, they will be able to
steal the account
and impersonate the victim.
The fraudulent message that can reach your WhatsApp application.
Photo: ESET screenshot.
Recommendations to not lose your WhatsApp account
ESET urges the users of this application to be alert for the possible reception of this type of SMS.
In case you see the message in your inbox, they advise you to delete it immediately "in order to avoid a security breach".
Another thing to keep in mind:
you should never lose sight of your phone or device
.
Therefore, specialists advise deactivating the preview of your SMS messages.
This may sound obvious, but many people prefer to have active to look at the messages more quickly.
The consequence of a third party agreeing to view the code can be fatal.
ESET researchers recall that it
is impossible for the potential victim's number to be used to register a new account
, since WhatsApp only allows one account per registered phone number.
How to set up 2-Step Verification
Two-step verification on WhatsApp.
On the other hand, the messaging service has a
key security function
to prevent these types of virtual scams: two-step verification, which is often used to protect email accounts and social networks.
With the application open, go to
Settings> Account>
Two-Step
Verification
and click Activate.
Then, you will enter a
six-digit code
that will be the key to protect our account.
When enabling two-step verification, WhatsApp will request a six-digit PIN.
You will then need to enter the email address as
an additional layer of security
.
Finally, WhatsApp will have the two-step verification confirmation configured on the phone, which means it will
further complicate the chance that someone can hijack the account
or transfer all the messages to another device.
The user will only need to enter a recovery email to complete the two-step verification process.
You just have to keep in mind that after enabling the two-step verification WhatsApp will ask every so often and randomly to enter your PIN.
Of course, it will not be every time the application is entered, so it should not be an inconvenience and it will keep the privacy of the data safe.
SL
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