Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Signs Your WhatsApp Account Has Been Hacked and How to Stop It

| Source: CNBC Translated from Indonesian | Technology

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - You should beware of criminal schemes that can hijack WhatsApp accounts. This can result in the account being taken over and activity on the platform being monitored by the perpetrator.

One of the harms of such hijacking is that the perpetrator can take the victim’s money. Some of the methods they use to achieve this include installing third-party applications, exploiting WhatsApp Web, and sending malware to the phone.

You can recognise signs that your WhatsApp account has been hijacked by another person. Here are some of them:

  1. OTP

One-Time Password (OTP) is a six-digit code to access WhatsApp. OTPs are usually sent via SMS to the registered WhatsApp number.

So you should be wary if an OTP SMS arrives, even if you have not tried to access WhatsApp. Remember also not to give the OTP to anyone.

  1. Leaving WhatsApp

Other signs include suddenly logging out. This can mean someone is trying to access the account from an unknown device.

You can see the list of other devices connected to the account via WhatsApp Web.

  1. Read Messages

Be careful if there are messages that are opened and read even though you never did that before. Because this is a sign the WhatsApp account has been hijacked.

  1. Messages Sent By Itself

As in the previous case, if there are messages that are sent by themselves, it could be that the account has been hijacked by another party.

  1. Foreign WhatsApp Status

Another sign is a status post that you never created before.

  1. Making Phone Calls

Finally, your account may have been hijacked if there are unfamiliar calls on WhatsApp. Those calls would never have been made by you before.

How to Stop WhatsApp Hijacking

You can use two-step verification to stop the account from being hijacked by others. Because this feature will prevent the perpetrator from accessing the account due to not knowing the code registered by the user.

Here is how to enable two-step verification on WhatsApp:

  1. Tap the three-dot option

  2. Go to Settings, then Account and click Two-Step Verification

  3. Press Enable

  4. Enter six digits

  5. Remember to enter an email address to recover the code if forgotten

Meanwhile, there are several steps you can take if hijacking has already occurred. Here are some steps:

Lodge with WhatsApp

You can directly send an email to WhatsApp via [email protected] with the keyword “Lost/stolen: please deactivate my account” in the body of the email. Provide the chronology of the incident, including information on when and how the other party could access the account.

You have 30 days to reactivate the account before it is permanently deleted.

Re-login

Another method is to reinstall. This step can be taken if the user has previously approved the transfer of the account.

You must reinstall with the registered number. Then WhatsApp can send the OTP to the number you own.

Lock WhatsApp Account

This lock feature is available on Android devices to prevent others from accessing it. To enable it, open the Settings menu > Privacy > Lock Screen > Fingerprint Scan.

Diligently Check WhatsApp Web

You should also check the list of devices connected to the account. Immediately sign out unknown devices.

Here is how to check devices connected via WhatsApp Web:

  • Tap the three-dot option

  • Click WhatsApp Web

  • Next you will see the list of devices connected to the WhatsApp account

  • Choose Sign out from all devices.

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