This is particularly worrying at a time when more people than ever are staying in contact by using services such as WhatsApp. Although it is relatively unknown, this simple technique will stop this attack altogether and protect your account from being hacked.' 'Many people could get their WhatsApp accounts hacked this way and therefore it is vital that people implement two-factor authentication within WhatsApp. It would even seem plausible if your partner asked about sensitive bank details or security information as the message would appear to be from you – all the while you could be completely unaware and locked out. Speaking about this latest attack Jake Moore, Cyber Security Specialist, Eset told .uk: “If hackers hijack your account and start sending messages to your contacts as you, the recipient would have no reason to disbelieve it and would most likely unknowingly reply.

It's unclear how many people have been hit by this attack, however, social media is full of users warning about the scam with one tweet saying: my friend has lost control of his account after a malicious actor tricked him to send the six digit Change Number code. Users often find themselves locked out of their WhatsApp account for hours making it hard to warn people that they have been targeted. Using this method, hackers could target friends and family asking for money via Paypal links.

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