MTN has recently started a WhatsApp hacking awareness campaign with the intent to warn South Africans that instances, where criminals are taking over people’s accounts, are surging, Cape {town} Etc reports.
WhatsApp remains the most popular mobile messaging platform in South Africa, with 93.9% of active social media users using the app and 28.8 million users in the country.
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Because of the platform’s high numbers and popularity, this has caused the app to become a ‘popular playground for criminals’.
Social media scams exist on WhatsApp, which include scammers using fake profiles to send messages or links that can lead to malicious websites.
Other scams involve fake profiles being created by criminals to lure victims into ‘bogus investment scams or similar schemes’, as reported by BusinessTech.
Impersonation scams have also been observed, where a WhatsApp user pretends to be a romantic partner who needs money.
A scam that has been deemed as a ‘dangerous version’, is brandjacking, where fraudsters create a fake social media account or website that comes across as a legitimate brand.
These scammers would use these false sites and social media profiles to trick unassuming people into sharing their personal or banking information.
Many criminals also trick users by utilising the lure of receiving an exclusive version of WhatsApp with ‘new updates and features’. This scam has been dubbed ‘WhatsApp Gold’.
WhatsApp Gold convinces users to click on a link or install software, which instead installs malware on users’ devices, with the malware being used to steal personal information, such as banking details, and many other types of information.
The criminal aims to deceive WhatsApp users into giving them money, in all of these scams and many others.
For users to avoid being hacked by scammers, MTN has advised WhatsApp users to turn on two-step verification to ‘add an extra layer of protection’.
This requires a PIN in addition to the verification code, which would make it more difficult for anyone to receive access to your account, even if they get the code.
It also urged WhatsApp users to be cautious of suspicious messages and links.
‘Do not click on suspicious links or download files from unknown sources,’ said MTN.
‘WhatsApp does not ask for your personal information via messages, so avoid sharing details like your verification code,’ MTN added.
MTN also stated that users should avoid using public Wi-Fi when doing ‘sensitive transactions’, as they could potentially expose their data to attackers.
‘Avoid accessing WhatsApp or entering sensitive information while connected to unsecured networks,’ said MTN.
Finally, MTN also advised that users should only install the official WhatsApp.
‘Download WhatsApp only from official sources like Google Play Store, Huawei AppGallery or Apple App Store to avoid fake apps that might steal your information,’ said MTN.
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