WhatsApp Scam Alert 132p62 Scammers Pose as ‘WhatsApp Technical Team’ to Steal Verification Codes

Scammers ask s on WhatsApp to their identity by providing their six-digit verification code. 46h43

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 28 May 2020 12:56 IST

WhatsApp Scam Alert: Scammers Pose as ‘WhatsApp Technical Team’ to Steal Verification Codes

WhatsApp doesn’t ask s to provide any personal information or verification codes 5d114d

Highlights

WhatsApp message has been shared in Spanish by a Twitter
It pretends to have been sent by WhatsApp technical team
WhatsApp generally doesn’t use its app to communicate with s

ment

A new WhatsApp scam has emerged in which an that pretends as an official communication source for WhatsApp technical team asks s to share their verification code. The uses a WhatsApp logo as its profile picture to convince s. However, it is important to highlight that WhatsApp teams don't use the messaging app to communicate with s and instead use social media channels, including Twitter or the company's official blog to send public announcements.

WhatsApp features tracker WABetaInfo posted a tweet to highlight the latest scam after a Twitter Dario Navarro enquired about a fishy message that the s had received. As per a screenshot shared by Navarro, the scammer sends a message in Spanish asking s to their identity by providing their six-digit verification code that comes via an SMS message.

This is #FAKE. WhatsApp doesn't message you on WhatsApp, and if they do (for global announcements, but it's soooo rare), a green verified indicator is visible.
WhatsApp never asks your data or verification codes.@WhatsApp should ban this . 😅 https://t.co/nnOehPL8Ca
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) May 27, 2020

The verification code is used to activate a WhatsApp on a new device. It is aimed to protect s on the messaging app from bad actors.

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WhatsApp doesn't ask for any personal information, including verification codes
Since the scammer uses the WhatsApp logo as the profile picture for the in question, unaware s may fall for it. However, as noted by the WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp doesn't message s on the app, and if it would in a rare circumstance, a green verified indicator will be visible alongside the logo and the name. It is also important to note that the Facebook-owned company doesn't ask s to provide any of their data, including verification codes.

Therefore, the message seen in the screenshot is nothing but a scam to gain access. You should not pay attention to any such messages.

WhatsApp has clearly mentioned that s are advised to not share the SMS verification code with others on its website. “If someone is trying to take over your , they need the SMS verification code sent to your phone number to do so. Without this code, any attempting to your number can't complete the verification process and use your phone number on WhatsApp,” the company wrote in its FAQs section.

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You can also get back your stolen by re-ing your phone number in case you've accidentally shared the verification code with someone else, as defined in another FAQ post by WhatsApp.

Notably, this isn't the first time when a scam has emerged in which s are being asked to provide their verification codes. The process of hijacking WhatsApp s by acquiring the verification code isn't new. Due to the coronavirus outbreak-led surge in WhatsApp usage recently, some hackers tried to obtain verification codes of WhatsApp s in markets including the UK by ing victims as if they're their known friends. A similar issue was reported back in 2018 as well.

In 2020, will WhatsApp get the killer feature that every Indian is waiting for? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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