THE NATIONAL CYBER Security Centre is warning the public of a sophisticated scam technique that has targeted WhatsApp users in Ireland.

The NCSC has become aware of a scam that involves WhatsApp verification codes and that can give a scammer full access to a victim’s WhatsApp account.

It is warning WhatsApp users to keep any login verification codes private and to be cautious of any messages containing urgent requests for money or sensitive information, even if it may appear to be from someone they know.

According to the NCSC, this is what the scam involves:

• The scammer obtains the victim’s phone number
• The scammer enters the victim’s phone number into the WhatsApp login page as if they were trying to sign in to that account
• WhatsApp sends a verification code to the victim’s phone as part of its security process
• At the same time, the scammer contacts the victim through WhatsApp while pretending to be a friend or family member from the victim’s contact list, which they are able to do because they have already compromised someone else’s account using this technique
• The scammer, using a compromised account of a contact, messages the victim asking them to share the verification code they received
• In the message, the scammer creates a sense of urgency, making it seem like a time sensitive request from a trusted contact
• The victim may believe they are helping a friend or family member and share the verification code, which allows the scammer to sign in to the victim’s WhatsApp account.

The NCSC says that sharing the code can give the scammer full access to the victim’s WhatsApp account, which the scammer can then use to lock the victim out of their account and repeat the scam on their contacts.

It can lead to additional security breaches and potential financial or personal losses.

To protect themselves, the NCSC says that WhatsApp users should keep any verification code private, activate two-step verification for logging in to their account, be cautious of any ‘urgent’ requests even if they appear to come from someone they know, and report any suspicious activity and block the suspicious account.

If an account has been compromised and someone has gained unauthorised access, users can contact WhatsApp support at support@whatsapp.com for assistance and should contact their local garda station.