Imagine waking up one day to find your WhatsApp inaccessible. Calls won’t connect, and your friends are bombarding your family with messages—asking why you’re begging for money. Sounds like a nightmare, right? Unfortunately, this is the reality for many victims of a sophisticated WhatsApp hijacking scam.
The Call That Changed Everything
A woman in India was going about her usual routine when her WhatsApp suddenly stopped working. She tried restarting her phone, but nothing helped. Soon, her husband began receiving frantic calls from her contacts, questioning the money requests they were receiving from “her” WhatsApp.
Panicked, they reached out to the cybercrime branch—only to discover she had been hacked through call forwarding.
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Recalling the day’s events, she remembered receiving a call from someone posing as a delivery agent. The caller claimed to have a package for her and asked for her address. Believing it to be something her children had ordered, she shared the details without hesitation. Then, the scammer asked her to dial a specific number, supposedly for delivery confirmation.
Unknowingly, she had entered a call-forwarding code, redirecting all her incoming calls to the fraudster’s number. With this simple trick, the scammers took control of her WhatsApp, using it to scam her contacts.
A Growing Trend in Cyber Fraud
This isn’t an isolated incident. In another case, a man fell victim to a scam while traveling. Fraudsters, posing as a friend, messaged him claiming they had accidentally sent an OTP to his number and needed it back. Without much thought, he forwarded the OTP. Moments later, his WhatsApp stopped working, and scammers began using his account to request money from his contacts.
Cybercrime officials warn that these scams rely on social engineering tactics to trick victims into:
- Dialing call-forwarding codes (often beginning with *#), which secretly redirect calls to the hacker’s number.
- Sharing an OTP received via SMS, giving direct access to the account.
- Clicking phishing links that install malicious apps, such as APK messenger forwarders, which intercept and reroute WhatsApp verification codes to scammers.
How to Protect Yourself
With WhatsApp hijacking cases surfacing across India, particularly in Bhopal, authorities urge users to take immediate precautions:
- Enable Two-Step Verification: Activate this feature via Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification. This adds an extra layer of security with a six-digit PIN, required when switching devices.
- Link an Email Address: Under Settings > Account, add an email for account recovery. While it won’t prevent hijacking, it can help regain access.
- Set Up a Passkey (If Available): If your device supports biometric authentication, enable Passkey to link your WhatsApp login to fingerprint or facial recognition for added protection.
What to Do If You’re Hacked?
If your WhatsApp is compromised or inaccessible, act fast! Report the issue immediately to the nearby cybercrime branch, police station or email support@support.whatsapp.com. Typically, accounts are restored within 24 to 48 hours.
Scammers prey on those who are unaware. Stay alert, enable security features, and never dial unknown codes or share OTPs. In the digital world, one careless click can cost you more than just your account.