Scammers con journalist on WhatsApp:Convince him to send money to acquaintance’s hacked messaging app

Recently, a well-known senior journalist shared that a scam that happened to him in a Facebook post. Cyber fraudsters hacked the WhatsApp account of an acquaintance of the journalist and transferred money from him several times through QR codes. The scammers took advantage of trust and urgency to steal thousands of rupees in just a few minutes. This scam can happen to anyone. Therefore, awareness about this is necessary. Lets see what is ‘WhatsApp Hacking Scam’. We will also learn: Expert: Rahul Mishra, Cyber Security Advisor, Uttar Pradesh Police Question- How did cyber fraudsters make the journalist a victim of scam? Answer- Understand the entire incident through pointers- Question- What mistake was made by the journalist, meaning those basic mistakes and negligence due to which people become victims of scams? Answer- The biggest mistake was that the journalist did not directly confirm with his acquaintance over phone before sending money. Apart from this, there were some other negligences too, which cyber fraudsters took advantage of. See all mistakes in the graphic- Question- What are the methods through which cyber fraudsters can hack WhatsApp? Answer- Cyber fraudsters can hack WhatsApp accounts by taking advantage of people’s small mistakes. Fraudsters can hack WhatsApp in these ways- Question- Which people are more targeted by cyber fraudsters? Answer- Cyber fraudsters typically target these people- Question- What should you do if you receive a message asking for money from a known number? Answer- In such a situation, be alert. Don’t send money without verification. First ensure that the message was actually sent by that person or not. Also, take special care of the points given in the graphic- Question- What precautions should be taken to avoid WhatsApp hacking scam? Answer- To avoid WhatsApp hacking, follow some basic security rules. Even small precautions can save you from big losses. See all safety tips in the graphic- Question- How to identify if WhatsApp account has been hacked? Answer- If unusual activities are visible in WhatsApp account, then it is a sign of hacking. See all signs of WhatsApp hacking in the graphic- Question- If WhatsApp account gets hacked, how to recover it? Answer- If WhatsApp account gets hacked, then take immediate action instead of panicking. The sooner you take steps, the higher the chances of getting the account back and preventing damage. Pay special attention to some things- Question- What to do if money gets transferred by mistake? Answer- In such a case, take immediate action. The initial few hours are most crucial for money recovery. For this- Question- Where should one complain if they become a victim of cyber fraud? Answer- If you become a victim of cyber fraud, file a complaint without delay.