ISLAMABAD: In a recent development, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) has released an advisory alerting of a hike in hacking and phishing attacks on WhatsApp.
Hacking and phishing attempts are being made by cybercriminals to trick users into divulging personal information using fake means, the advisory stated.
It said the hackers employ spoofed links and phishing verification codes to lure the victims. Compromised accounts can be used to propagate false information, conduct fraud, or access unauthorized private photographs and contact lists.
The NCERT advisory continued to say that the hackers are employing phony bank loyalty schemes and prize schemes as lures for attacks.
The NCERT also warned against fraudulent schemes for users, advising them to enable two-step verification under WhatsApp settings for additional security.
Users of WhatsApp have been asked to steer clear of address verification, reward, or survey-related links and to authenticate messages only from official and verified sources.
The NCERT suggested exceptional caution for messages received from unknown numbers.
