In computer security, the best is still to follow the advice of our parents: do not trust strangers. And the latest scam in vogue on WhatsApp once again confirms the adage.
With its two billion users, WhatsApp is a prime target for hackers. A very simple technique allows them today to obtain access to your account on instant messaging.
Please do not call this number
We owe the discovery of this hacking method to Rahul Sasi, CEO of the company CloudSek, which specializes in the prediction of cyber threats.
According to him, the method developed by the pirates is actually the simplest one can imagine. But that is perhaps what makes her the most dangerous, in that she is akin to a scam all that is most basic.
The modus operandi is as follows: a pirate calls a number, and asks the person who answers to dial the number he gives him. If his target is gullible and complies, it is already too late: the hacker will have immediately obtained access to the administration of his WhatsApp account.
A rare scam in France
In detail, Rahul Sasi explains that hackers ask their victims to dial a number that begins with either 45 or 405, which will have the effect of instantly disconnecting them from their WhatsApp account and leaving the field open to cybercriminals.
But, you will have noticed that these telephone codes are, to say the least, baroque in France. There is little chance that a person even slightly aware of the mechanics of online fishing will be fooled. However, this is not the case in all countries.
” Once the hacker gains access to the account, he [se fait passer pour la victime] to request money from contacts “, details Rahul Sasi. ” In this way, the criminal abuses the victim’s contacts even before the victim realizes that she has lost control of her account. »
The opportunity to remember that the best way to protect your WhatsApp account, but also all of your social networks on the Internet, is to apply a strong password, and to activate two-factor authentication on all your accounts.
Source : 91 mobiles
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