A WhatsApp OTP scam has been going around tricking app users. Here’s what you need to know about it to be prepared and stay safe. #BecauseWeCare 

WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps for sharing news, views, and information. With the recent announcement by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), WhatsApp can now be used as a payment channel too. This has led to scamsters finding newer ways to take advantage of tricking users into giving them access to their WhatsApp account.

These scamsters take advantage of your personal information and use it to represent you and gain trust from your contacts to access their accounts too. If your WhatsApp account gets hacked, then scamsters could get hold of your bank account details and misuse them to withdraw funds from your account.  

How does the trick work? 

A scamster may send you a message on WhatsApp, usually from a friend’s account that has already been hacked. The fake message will ask you for an OTP which you have received, explaining that it was sent to you by mistake. The message will try to convince you that your friend is in some trouble and urgently needs you to send the OTP that you have received.

Sometimes, the message may come from an unknown account. In such cases, it will say that it is from the technical team of the messaging app, to convince you that it is official. To create trust, the display picture of the message asking for the OTP from an unknown number will be the WhatsApp logo. It may also say that if you do not share the OTP, some features in your WhatsApp account may get disabled. 

If you send the OTP code, you are giving the scamster access to your account. The next thing he or she will do is lock you out of your own WhatsApp account! 

 Effects of this scam

• The scamster can misuse your account by reaching out to your friends and playing the same trick on them, that was played on you 
• This could result in your friends losing access to their accounts too 
• More importantly, the scamster can read personal conversations and pick up private data or information, including all your private photos, videos, and even bank account and credit card details, including passwords – if they have been mentioned in WhatsApp conversations – and gain financially at your expense

 How to avoid getting tricked

• If you get a message asking you for an OTP, even if it is from someone in your contact list, do not share it! First, call up the person whose account it has come from and confirm that the message has been genuinely sent by him or her
• Better still, delete any message that asks for an OTP immediately and block the account right away
• Another way to protect your WhatsApp account is to go to the app settings and enable two-factor authentication. This will make it more difficult for anyone to hack your account with only an OTP
• Here are some other tips to ensure that you stay safe from OTP scamsters:
  
  -Never share an OTP with anyone, even if they claim to be from an income tax department or bank officials, or any other person of authority 
  
  -Do not give your OTP to anyone on any medium, be it email or phone calls, and not just WhatsApp
  
  -To receive money, you do not have to share an OTP
  
  -Whenever you are unsure about the genuineness of an OTP request, contact the official customer service numbers
  
  -Check for the lock icon and https:// to ensure that your online transactions are safe
  
  -Never transfer or receive money while you are speaking on the phone or distracted by some other activity
  
  -Never click on short links

Be aware and connect with care

While enjoying all the benefits of the free messaging app – WhatsApp, be sure that you protect your messages and your account.