10+ Precious tips on how to prevent your WhatsApp from being cloned or hacked

With each passing day, new virtual scams appear; in Brazil, a law was even created to punish this type of crime (Carolina Dieckmann Law: Art.154-A of the Penal Code). The WhatsApp messaging application has shown that it is not immune to security issues. For you to stay safe, we’ve brought tips on what to do and what not to do to avoid being targeted by unscrupulous people.

Today the awesome.club will show you how this happens and the ways to avoid major problems. Stay with us and understand everything.

Computer experts point out that the greatest risk is when the user accesses the so-called WhatsApp Web, which is the application available for the computer. The cloning of the app happens with the hijacking of important information. Another form of criminal action is when he impersonates the owner of the line and asks a friend or relative for an amount to be deposited in the bank account.

Usually, the person receives a message or an email with an incredible offer, most often with something with a much lower price than usual, a discount or high-value coupon. By clicking on the provided link, the person is directed to a fake website made by the criminal. the address of web, Generally, it is very similar to the real site, so many people fall for the scam and enter personal and bank details.

We emphasize that the company O Boticário does not send any promotion link via SMS, WhatsApp message or email to people not registered on the site. Famous companies are used as titles for malicious messages, precisely because they are well known for the quality of their products and services. Therefore, always suspect unrealistic values ​​and contact the company.

The user enters his data such as passwords, number of documents and other information. In possession of this information, fraudsters make purchases, bank transfers, change passwords and unlock cards. In another scam, the user receives an irresistible promotion that can only be paid with a bank slip, the amount is sent to the fraudster’s personal account and the buyer will never receive the goods.

In order not to fall victim to these various types of scams, it is essential to always check the page address. Enter the address of the virtual store in the browser and search for the merchandise on the website itself, there you can confirm that the promotion exists and that the discount or coupon is valid. To prevent viruses from being installed on your computer, never access suspicious links or email attachments and always have your antivirus software up to date.

Another even more elaborate scam steals the user’s account in the application. First he gets the victim’s cell phone number, this information is usually exposed on social networks or product sales sites. From this data, criminals register the victim’s WhatsApp on their device, requesting the customer access token, impersonating the used sales site.

After having a duplicate WhatsApp account, he changes the password and contacts the victim’s acquaintances asking to borrow money. The request for money is always linked to some medical emergency or a car accident. With this, usually the contact, who does not know that the application is cloned, tries to help and sends the money to the informed account without suspecting anything.

If you receive a message requesting a large amount, it is best to call the contact’s phone number and confirm the order. Despite the application being used by another user, the victim’s line will be free to receive calls. If it was your number that was cloned, as soon as you find out, call or send an SMS notifying your contacts about the problem and register the case at a police station.

A measure to avoid such inconveniences is the option that is in the application’s configuration, the so-called “two-step verification” (Settings/Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification). There the user registers a password that will be requested eventually. This means one more difficulty to avoid cloning and fraud.

A lot of people leave their data like full name, date of birth, phone, address and even document numbers on social networks available for anyone to access. Generally, platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram request this type of information for registration, but you can prevent it from being exposed to any user by changing your privacy settings.

If your phone needs to be available because it’s a business account, try to protect it in another way. You can, for example, not put a picture of yourself in your profile, not put personal information in status🇧🇷 These are small details that can make the difference when it comes to having secure access.

Another way to protect the user is to know that the app cannot be accessed by 2 cell phones at the same time. So, if you try to connect and you can’t, stay alert and deactivate the account immediately. Don’t forget to let your contacts know what happened. Also check WhatsApp Web access. You can check where the accesses came from in the “Device with active sessions” tab and all you have to do is block it.

If, checking the information above, you notice that your number has been cloned in the application, it is best to deactivate the account. The procedure is simple, but it may take a few days. Follow the step by step:

Send an email to WhatsApp at the following address: support@whatsapp.com🇧🇷 In the subject and body of the email write: Lost/Stolen: Please deactivate my account, along with your cell phone number with the DDI (in Brazil it is +55) and the appropriate DDD (of your city); Wait for confirmation of cancellation.

Did you like the tips? Have you already made some of these security modes in your application? Tell us.