A WARNING has been issued over a new scam that is affecting WhatsApp groups.
The instant messaging tool is hugely popular as it offers an encrypted service.
But scammers have found a way to take advantage of its group settings to allow them access to accounts.
Action Fraud says the scam starts when a criminal gains access to another WhatsApp account.
Posing as a friend or a member of that group, they target victims by first sending seemingly normal messages to begin a conversation.
Then, the victim receives a text message from WhatsApp with a six-digit code. This is the criminal attempting to log in to WhatsApp using the victim’s mobile number.
The criminal will claim that they sent their code by accident and ask the victim to share it with them.
Once the criminal has this, they can login to the victim’s WhatsApp account and change the password.
Action Fraud recommends WhatsApp users set to Two-Step Verification to help with security, and to never share a six-digit account activation code with anyone.
Spam messages can be reported to WhatsApp by pressing and holding on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.
Anyone who has been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, can report it to Action Fraud by calling: 0300 123 2040.
