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ISLAMABAD:
Hoping to receive New Year gifts, you may get your WhatsApp hacked, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) warned in an advisory issued on Sunday.
The agency urged people to be wary of New Year’s scams. Messages containing “congratulatory links” or “fake gifts” are currently circulating. Users are advised not to click on any unknown links and never share their WhatsApp verification code with anyone, it said.
Experts warn that hackers often disguise spyware as a gift and that a single click can compromise your mobile device or WhatsApp account. This can put a user’s WhatsApp files and chats at risk, violating their privacy. The agency urged caution and advised users to avoid clicking on suspicious links.
WhatsApp is a widely used instant messaging platform that allows users to send text messages, voice notes, images, videos, documents and make voice and video calls over the Internet.
It leverages end-to-end encryption, ensuring messages are only visible to the sender and recipient, making communications highly secure. However, the application can be compromised through spyware, although it is not usually through a simple hack such as password guessing.
Spyware attacks typically target the phone and can be installed in several ways. Clicking on malicious links sent via WhatsApp, SMS or email can install spyware that reads messages, records calls or captures keystrokes.
Advanced “zero-click” exploits can infect a phone without any interaction, sometimes through a missed call or message; These are rare and often targeted at high-profile people, such as journalists or politicians.
Other risks include compromised backups on Google Drive or iCloud, physical access to the phone, and using unofficial versions of WhatsApp, which are particularly vulnerable.
Once installed, spyware can read chats, listen to calls, access the camera and microphone, track location, and even capture keystrokes or screenshots.
