Social media platform WhatsApp remains one of the favourite hunting grounds for online scamsters who use diverse ploys to cheat the vulnerable, hijack their accounts, malign their reputation, and inflict severe financial losses on them.
Recently, complaints about the alleged hacking of WhatsApp accounts have surged, with the cyber police across the State reportedly receiving numerous cases. A common tactic involves using hacked accounts to request monetary help in groups the victims belong to. Taking advantage of access to these groups, scamsters are allegedly hacking the accounts of other users in the same groups.
When users realise their accounts have been compromised and warn other members of the group, scamsters reportedly delete those messages.
Different modus operandi
Recently, a police officer in rural Alappuzha received three such calls, each employing a different modus operandi. He said that scamsters appeared to have been inventing new methods on the go to deceive people. In some cases, callers asked for an OTP, claiming it was needed to update the phone’s security lock. In others, they warned that failing to update WhatsApp would render the platform defunct, he added.
“Even at other times, the caller requested the OTP under the guise of enabling a single login for WhatsApp and Facebook,” the officer said. “Their attempts fell flat when they encountered technically savvy youngsters. However, there are plenty of gullible people who might fall for their convincing performance,” he added.
A senior cyber police officer said the WhatsApp-based scam had been ongoing for quite some time, prompting the police to issue several alerts, including through their social media handles. “People simply need to be cautious and avoid clicking on dubious links or installing unknown apps at someone’s request,” he added.
Published – November 24, 2024 01:40 am IST