The UAE Telecommunications Authority has posted a notice on Twitter for WhatsApp users, warning them not to reply to code verification messages unless activated by the subscriber. Many WhatsApp accounts have been hacked through this method.
Nicolai Solling, CTO of Help AG Middle East Security Solutions Provider, said The Middle East Comparisonwhich is a widespread phenomenon and is called "social engineering".
"Scammers have hacked many accounts around the world and their main intention is to control WhatsApp accounts. What the scammer does is send you a code on WhatsApp and ask the user to respond by clicking on a link to verify the phone number, "he said.
Normally, when you install WhatsApp on a device, WhatsApp sends a verification code to verify if you are the owner of the phone number. This is done automatically. However, in this case, the scammer sends you a WhatsApp code and link.
"If you click on the link, you confirm that it is you on behalf of the rogue. In this way, the user can lose control of WhatsApp messages and the scammer can read and send messages on his behalf."
If a user has not requested the WhatsApp code, they should not click on any confirmation link in WhatsApp.