WhatsApp OTP scam doing the rounds; here is how you can stay safe

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, November 24

WhatsApp has become the latest target of scammers and hackers, who are now using OTP tricks to gain illegal access to accounts.

The messaging app is widely used across the globe and that makes it more susceptible to privacy issues and scams. A lot of your important data can be derived from your conversation on WhatsApp and that is exactly why the hackers have chosen WhatsApp to collect your sensitive data.

The scam which is currently doing the rounds lets scammers hack into your WhatsApp account using an OTP. You could get a message on WhatsApp from an unknown number or from a friend’s number claiming that he/she is in some sort of emergency. The hacker will then ask you for an OTP, which he will claim that he has sent to your number mistakenly.

When you get messages like this, do not indulge in any further conversation or send the OTP code, which actually provides access to your WhatsApp account.

If you send the OTP code to the hacker, you will be locked out of your own WhatsApp account. This would give full control of your account to the hacker. He can then misuse the access and reach out to your other friends following the same tricks. The hacker can also collect sensitive data or conversations that are meant to be private.

Similarly, even when you get a message from a known contact asking for an OTP pin, do not respond immediately or follow his request. You can first call him to verify whether the message was sent by him or was his WhatsApp account. It is even better if you do not indulge with any unknown contacts on WhatsApp.

So to keep yourself safe from such scams, you can enable two-factor authentication on WhatsApp.

Here is what you can do to secure your account from fraudsters

• Tap on the three dots on the top right corner after opening WhatsApp
• Tap on the Settings option and then select Account
• Then tap on Two-step verification
• When you select the Two-step verification, you get an enable option
• When you tap on enable, you will be asked to enter a six-digit pin
• You will be asked to enter the pin twice, followed by your email address
• When you confirm the email address, your two-step verification will be activated
• You could disable or change the pin following the same step
• WhatsApp will ask you to enter your password frequently when you open the app