A dangerous WhatsApp scam that has hoodwinked thousands of users out of their accounts has resurfaced once more.
The scam in question is nothing new, but is notorious for how easily it can fool people.
It involves a friend or close contact sending you a message at around the same time a six-digit recovery code is sent to your phone.
They'll tell you that the code was sent to you accidentally and ask you to forward it onto them.
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However, you're actually speaking to a scammer at this point—and they're using your friend's account to target you next.
According to Action Fraud UK, the scam has begun doing the rounds again as hackers try to gain full access to users' personal details once more.
If you receive any message asking you to send a 6-digit code, make sure you ignore it and report the account in question for spam—even if it's your own grandmother.
That's because once the hackers gain access to your WhatsApp account, they'll not only be able to see all of your conversations, but impersonate you and use it to scam your contacts too.
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In the past, criminals have even used this to trick friends and family into sending money using dodgy PayPal links.
Action Fraud has apparently received 60 reports about the scam being used again in the UK. They instruct people to call their contacts if they ever get a message asking for money or help.
Plus, you should never ever share your account's six-digit activation code, even if it's with a very close friend or trusted contact.
Finally, activate two-factor authentication on your WhatsApp account just for that added layer of security.
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