Islamabad, 12 June 2024, (GNP): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has alerted the public about incidents of hacking of citizen’s WhatsApp accounts have increased, with cybercriminals specifically targeting accounts of women.
According to an FIA official, cybercriminals gain access to women’s WhatsApp accounts and elicit their personal information such as chats, images, and videos, for intimidation and blackmail.
The official maintained that cybercriminals are using new methods to gain unauthorized access to WhatsApp accounts, including phishing and social engineering.
Phishing involves deceptive messages that allure users into exposing personal information or clicking on vindictive links.
The official stated that hacked accounts could be used to spread inappropriate material and fraud.
He advised enabling the two-step verification process in WhatsApp settings, which provides an additional layer of security to halt unauthorized access to the account.
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The FIA further guided to avoid opening messages or media files sent from unknown numbers as they may contain links or files that could harm the software or grant access to the data.
Other precautionary measures include regularly reviewing and updating privacy settings on WhatsApp to limit access to personal information, the official added.
However, if a WhatsApp account is hacked, the following steps must be taken immediately:
1) Contact WhatsApp help to regain control of the account and implement appropriate security measures.
2) Inform close friends, family members, and colleagues about it so they can prevent possible fraud.
3) Contact the FIA helpline at 1991 or visit the nearest FIA circle.
