Whatsapp Hacking: How to Avoid it, and What to Do if You Get Hacked?

Nowadays, a lot of us can easily say that we know someone whose Whatsapp was hacked, or that we have at least heard stories of the like. There are multiple ways in which hackers have been able to get hold of other people’s Whatsapp accounts, but the most prevalent one by changing numbers.

Since Whatsapp accounts are linked to phone numbers, the number itself can be changed at any point. The hacker, in this case, would put his own number and all what he needs to do is input an OTP that would be sent to the old number previously linked to the Whatsapp account. Many hackers were successful at that. What has happened is that you would receive a message from a someone in your contacts asking about the OTP that was sent to your number ‘by mistake’. Since you know that person, you would gladly help out by sending the OTP over to them. That’s it. The hacker now has the ability to take over your Whatsapp account thanks to that OTP.

How, then, can you protect your Whatsapp account from being hacked? There are multiple ways in which you can increase security on your account, and there are also other ways that are simple and can be done easily.

First, you can lock your Whatsapp.

Although you might have a lock on your phone, you can also lock Whatsapp itself. On iOS, for example, you can apply Face ID or Fingerprint to Whatsapp so that no one other than you can open your account.

Always remember to log out of Whatsapp Web.

We tend to use Whatsapp Web on our laptops and desktops because it makes the process so much easier. However, sometimes we also tend to forget to log out especially if we were using a PC that is also used by others.

The next thing you can do is enable 2-step verification.

The 2-step verification is basically when you create a 6-digit PIN as well as confirm your email address. You won’t be asked to enter the PIN every time you open the app. You will only be asked for it at random times and different intervals. All you need to do is go to the “settings” and click on “two-step verification” in order to complete the process.

If you receive any, make sure you don’t click on any suspicious links.

Sometimes we get random links and messages from numbers that are not in our contacts. The worst thing we can do in this case is to click on the links. You never what that link contains and what it can do. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

In the unfortunate case of your account getting hacked, the first thing you should do is uninstall the application from your phone and then re-install it at a different time. You should also inform your contacts of the event in case they receive any suspicious messages from your number. Finally, you should contact Whatsapp by email on support@whatsapp.com and notify them of what has happened along with your contact number.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Dubai also shared these tips on their social media accounts. Check their tweet here.