WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging application in the world. Currently, the service has 2 billion active users per month, making it quite a candy for hackers.
The most common way hackers steal users' WhatsApp accounts is through a type of fraud called SIM swapping. This old acquaintance has been the gateway to our phones for those who love others for years, but now it's more fashionable than ever.
Let's explain to you what it is, what consequences it has and what you can do to avoid being a victim of this kind of scam.
What is SIM swapping?
This scam can be carried out in many ways, but usually someone will pose as us and contact our mobile operator. They may have previously obtained a copy of our identity card and personal data (usually impersonated as state agencies or banks).
The scammers will claim that they've lost the phone and that they need a duplicate of our SIM card. In the event that the operator falls into the trap, pirates will have access to our phone, and thus to a large number of services, including WhatsApp.
How can they supplant my identity?
The answer to this question is simple and at least worrisome. And today our phone number is linked to many services that we also sometimes access with a double-factor verification system with SMS messages that arrive on the phone.
WhatsApp, Twitter, Telegram, Instagram, email customers, digital payment systems or banking applications are some of the most sensitive platforms that can be exposed to SIM swapping.
There is no concrete way to know if we have been victims of SIM swapping before it is too late, but experts say that when this happens, our phone becomes offline for a few minutes.
When you retrieve the line, we may start receiving message recovery text from application passwords. It may also be the case that the impostor has sent WhatsApp messages posing as us.
This can cause us serious problems. For example, in a specific case reported by El País, a user whose identity was replaced by WhatsApp may have been charged with attempted extortion of his contacts. And it's just that, posing as him, the pirate asked his contacts to make a deposit for him because they were going to seize him. Fortunately, everything was resolved without incident.
How to strengthen security in WhatsApp
In case you notice an unusual line cut, it is ideal to contact your phone provider quickly to check that everything is in order.
It is also advisable not to use passwords related to personal information and, in the case of WhatsApp, to apply a privacy configuration that keeps the most sensitive information hidden. It is expected that in the future WhatsApp will hide our phone number from contacts that we do not have added in our agenda, but at the moment this is not possible.
Finally, remember to always avoid sending sensitive information such as account numbers, bank statements or personal data in WhatsApp chats, especially in groups with many users.