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| Police say call, do not just send money through WhatsApp |
Hong Kong Police has issued a warning on its CyberDefender Facebook page over the rise in the number of people being defrauded by scammers after hijacking their friend’s or relative’s WhatsApp account.
In the post
last Monday, Mar 18, the police said it received 131 WhatsApp account “robberies”
in the previous week alone, which resulted in losses amounting to $1.7 million.
“In most
cases, the victims received WhatsApp messages from scammers posing as their
relatives or friends, who claimed there was an urgent need for money due to
emergencies,” the police said.
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| PINDUTIN PARA DETALYE |
“The
victims were asked to transfer the money as soon as possible.”
It was only
after they remembered to call the account holder after sending money that they
learned they had been scammed.
Police
figures show a significant rise in the theft of online accounts, with 3,434 reports
last year compared with 168 cases the previous year. Most of the cases involved
WhatsApp accounts.
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| TAWAG NA! |
Monetary losses
jumped to $87.6 million in 2023 from $73.8 million the year before, for a
nearly 16% increase.
To prevent
falling prey to such scams, the police is urging everyone who receives such requests
for a money transfer to call the account holder first to verify the story.
Those who
use WhatsApp should also make sure their accounts are not hacked by scammers by
doing the following:
· Do not click suspicious links
to avoid falling into the phishing trap, which allows scammers to use your
personal data in taking control of your account
·
Never share your personal QR
code with scammers who pose as customer service representatives
·
Never press “confirm if you
receive a login request, as the WhatsApp system can generate a transfer code which
will allow a scammer to empty your bank account
·
If using WhatsApp on the web,
use its official web address.
·
Avoid using WhatsApp on public
computers
'
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| PINDUTIN ITO |
In addition,
always use two-factor authentication and log out from all unknown connected
devices.
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| Sample of a phishing attempt through WhatApp. |
1.
Pause and think. Look out for
suspicious behavior: Are they using an unknown number? Are they rushing you? Are
they being threatening or asking you to trust them? Are they asking you to
transfer money or share a password, pin, or personal information?
2.
Stop the conversation: Hang up
a call or don’t reply to messages. Do not do what the person is asking of you,
like transferring money.
3.
Block and report to WhatsApp
4.
Update your privacy and
security settings. Control who sees your information and enable two-step
verification to better secure your account.
If your
account gets hacked, find out how you can recover it from the official WhatsApp
website: https://faq.whatsapp.com/1131652977717250/?helpref=uf_share
To reduce
the risk of fraud, go to the Family Guard website: https://CyberDefender.hk
Or, use the
mobile app, "Fam Prevention App" to help reduce the risk of fraud.
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| PADALA NA! |
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