Beware of Whatsapp hackers; CERT

• The scam involves a WhatsApp message requesting money, sent from the account of a known contact

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) yesterday cautioned the public on a scam which is involved in hacking of whatsapp accounts.   

Senior Engineer Charuka Damunupola from CERT told media that several complaints had already been received in this regard.   

 The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has also received a complaint regarding this scam.  

 The scam involves a WhatsApp message requesting money, sent from the account of a known contact. The message claims an urgent need for funds and asks the recipient to transfer a certain amount to a specified account.  

 CERT has received four complaints about this scam so far according to Damunupola.   

 “If you use WhatsApp, you might receive a message from someone in your contact list asking for money. Since the request comes from a known contact, many people are tempted to comply,” he said.   

 CERT advised the public to remember that these messages might be the result of the contact’s account being hacked. They recommend not transferring any money without verifying the request through another means of communication.  

 The scam often occurs because the victim unknowingly shares their One-Time Password (OTP) with an external party during the WhatsApp registration process according to CERT.   
 After the account is hacked, cybercriminals use the contact list to send messages requesting money.