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Online scammers obviously never sleep. This time it's about your beloved WhatsApp accounts. Anyone who falls for the scam will lose their WhatsApp account.
The new scam is actually quite banal – but if you don’t ask questions and become suspicious, you will lose your WhatsApp account. We are talking about the verification code for WhatsApp. Anyone who receives the following message should not give out the code under any circumstances.
Criminals are often creative
Hey! Can you help me for a minute? You'll get a text message shortly. Can you forward me the code in the message?
WhatsApp fake message
When you receive this message, alarm bells should ring because the sender's account has already been taken over by criminals. Anyone who forwards the code will lose access to their own account because it will be transferred to another smartphone. The verification code therefore only serves as confirmation of the transaction request. If you answer the request with a question, you will receive some pretty interesting answers with creative reasons. Nevertheless, you must not give out the code under any circumstances - no matter who it is to.
Help: I forwarded the WhatsApp verification code
Of course, not every user is so knowledgeable or simply acts rashly at this moment. If you actually fall for the scam, you will have to restore your WhatsApp account. You can find further information on the WhatsApp support website. You should also, of course, warn friends and acquaintances. If you receive the message presented above, you should also inform the contact concerned via an alternative method.
Two-step verification protects against account loss
WhatsApp has offered the "Two-Step Verification" feature for some time. This requires you to create a custom password. This is required in addition to the verification code to authorize a transfer. This would make it impossible for criminals to exploit. The feature is enabled via the WhatsApp settings in the "Account" section under "Two-Step Verification." Since this is not a bug within the app, no update is expected. However, the developers are aware of the security vulnerability – which is why activating "Two-Step Verification" is strongly recommended. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
