Taking into account that Internet scams are the order of the day, it is advisable to be aware of the techniques used by scammers and be cautious to avoid avoid falling into the trap. Nowadays, scammers use the most varied strategies to get hold of our personal data or even our card data: Fake SMS from the Treasurythe missed call scam or the likes scam are just some of the examples of the most recent scams.
Many scammers use WhatsApp as a platform to try to scam us. In fact, it is likely that in recent months you have received a strange message through popular messaging application, such as messages Rosa Caro Serrano. If at any time someone contacts you asking for a numeric code, this is a scam that could cause you to lose your account.
Scammers get in touch to take over our WhatsApp account
To configure WhatsApp on a new device it is necessary to confirm our identity using a six-digit numerical code that we will receive by SMS on our usual number. Once you receive this code, it is necessary to enter it on the new device before being able to use our WhatsApp account. As you may have imagined, scammers try to get hold of this code to gain control of our account.
To do this, the scammers (who previously They have got our phone number) enter our number in the WhatsApp application. Next, the person they are trying to scam receive a text message with a six-digit code. Without this code it is impossible for anyone to access our account, so scammers contact us to try to get it.
Sometimes, scammers impersonate one of our contacts (whom they had previously scammed) or simply contact us explaining that They have entered our number by mistake and asking us for the six-digit code to access your account. If we fall into the trap we will automatically lose access to our account, which will remain in the hands of the scammers.
Once the scammers have taken control of our account, they can access our contact list and try to scam our family and friends in different ways. Taking into account the danger of this scam, the Civil Guard has already warned before about its dangers.
What to do if you receive a message like this
The best thing we can do if we receive a strange message through WhatsApp (or any other messaging application) is to block the number as soon as possible and not respond to the person who has contacted us. Of course, In no case should we provide the code that they ask of us. If we fall into the trap, it is important to alert our contacts and contact the relevant authorities.
At this point it is worth emphasizing the importance of enabling the two-step verification in our WhatsApp account. This measure adds an additional layer of security that requires us to enter a PIN code created by the user (in addition to the six-digit registration code we receive by SMS) to register our phone number on a new device.
Cover image | Microsoft Designer Image Creator