WhatsApp’s widespread adoption in India, with over half a billion users, makes it an essential part of daily life for communication, business, and even financial transactions via WhatsApp Pay. This extensive use also makes it a prime target for cybercriminals. While the app’s end-to-end encryption secures message content, a hacker’s goal is often to gain control of the account itself. Once a perpetrator gains access, they can impersonate the user to scam their contacts, access sensitive information in chats and media, and use the account for other malicious purposes.
How WhatsApp Accounts are Hacked
Hackers typically gain access to an account through social engineering, which is a form of manipulation that tricks a user into revealing their confidential information. The most common methods include:
- Verification Code Scams: A hacker downloads WhatsApp and attempts to register your phone number. A six-digit registration code is sent to your phone via SMS. The hacker then contacts you, often pretending to be a friend or family member in a crisis, or even a company like WhatsApp support, and asks you to share this code. If you provide the code, they can take over your account.
- SIM Swapping: In a more sophisticated attack, a criminal impersonates you to your mobile carrier, convincing them to transfer your phone number to a new SIM card. This gives the hacker control of your phone number, allowing them to receive the SMS verification code and take over your WhatsApp account.
- Phishing Links: Users may receive a message with a malicious link disguised as a legitimate one, such as a special offer, a job application, or a system update. Clicking the link can lead to a fake website that steals your login credentials or installs spyware on your device.
What are the exploitable activities once an account is taken over by the hacker
Once a hacker has successfully taken over a WhatsApp account, they gain the ability to exploit the trust associated with the victim’s identity. While the end-to-end encryption means they can’t see past chats or media, they can do a significant amount of damage with the current and future access. Here are the most common and damaging exploitable actions a hacker can take:
- Scamming the Victim’s Contacts
This is the most frequent and immediate consequence. The hacker impersonates the victim and contacts their friends, family, and colleagues with a sense of urgency. Common scams include:
- Financial Scams: The hacker might claim to be in a crisis (e.g., an accident, a medical emergency, a lost wallet) and ask for an urgent money transfer, often via a digital payment app. Because the request is coming from a trusted contact, the chance of the scam succeeding is very high.
- Verification Code Scams: The hacker uses the hijacked account to trick more people in the contact list into giving up their own WhatsApp verification codes. They might claim to have accidentally sent a code to them and need it back to log into their own account. This creates a chain reaction, allowing the hacker to take over more and more accounts.
- Phishing/Malware Distribution: The perpetrator sends out malicious links disguised as special offers, news articles, or other enticing content. Clicking these links can lead to websites that steal personal information or download spyware onto the recipient’s device.
- Impersonation and Identity Theft
The hacker can use the victim’s account to:
- Communicate Maliciously: They can send offensive, embarrassing, or inappropriate messages to groups or individual contacts, damaging the victim’s reputation.
- Spreading Disinformation: In a more targeted attack, a hacker could use a compromised account to spread fake news, rumors, or politically motivated content, particularly in group chats.
- Access to Other Accounts: If the victim has a habit of using WhatsApp for sharing information like passwords or sensitive links, the hacker could gain access to their email, social media, or even banking accounts.
- Deception in Group Chats
Hijacked accounts are often used to infiltrate and cause disruption in group chats. Hackers can:
- Scam Group Members: They can use the same financial and phishing scams on a larger scale within a group, as the trust among members is often higher.
- Join Other Groups: The hacker can use the compromised account to join new groups, which can expose them to more potential victims and sensitive information.
- Holding the Account for Ransom
In some cases, the hacker’s goal is not to scam others but to hold the victim’s account for ransom. They can enable two-step verification on the compromised account with their own PIN, effectively locking the legitimate owner out. To regain access, the victim has to either know the new PIN (which is highly unlikely) or wait for a mandatory 7-day period to reset it, during which the hacker can continue to use the account.
- Accessing Sensitive Information (Indirectly)
While the hacker can’t read past messages, they do get a view of all new incoming messages. This can be used to gather intelligence on the victim, their contacts, and their routines. They can also see who is messaging them and what new groups they are added to, allowing them to further their exploitation.
The speed at which a hacked account is used is often crucial. Perpetrators are aware that the victim will eventually realize their account has been compromised and will try to reclaim it. Therefore, they act quickly to maximize their gains before being logged out. This is why immediate action, such as enabling two-step verification, is so critical to preventing a takeover in the first place.
Why is it Essential to link a WhatsApp account to an email id
Linking an email ID to your WhatsApp account’s two-step verification is not just an option—it’s a critical safety net that can save your account from permanent loss. While the two-step verification PIN provides a strong barrier against hackers, the email link provides a recovery mechanism if you forget that PIN.
Here’s why linking an email is essential:
- Account Recovery if You Forget Your PIN
This is the primary and most important reason. When you enable two-step verification, you create a unique six-digit PIN. WhatsApp will periodically ask for this PIN to confirm you are the legitimate owner. However, it’s easy to forget a number you don’t use every day. If you forget your PIN and try to re-register your account on a new or reinstalled device, you’ll be locked out. Without a linked email address, your only option is to wait for a mandatory seven-day period. During this time, you cannot access your account at all, and any messages sent to you will be lost.
If you have a linked email, however, you can simply tap “Forgot PIN?” on the re-registration screen and have a password reset link sent to your email address. This allows you to immediately regain access to your account and set a new PIN, avoiding the frustrating week-long lockout.
- Protection Against SIM Swapping and Social Engineering
As discussed earlier, a SIM swap attack allows a hacker to take control of your phone number. This means they can receive the initial SMS verification code to register your WhatsApp account. However, if you have two-step verification enabled, they will still need the six-digit PIN to complete the process. If a hacker has tricked you into revealing your PIN as well, the email link serves as your last line of defense. They cannot reset the PIN without access to your email account, which is a completely separate layer of security.
- A Barrier for Malicious Third Parties
In some cases, you may acquire a new phone number that was previously used by someone else. If the previous owner had two-step verification enabled and didn’t disable it or add an email address, you would be locked out of the account unless you know the PIN. In this scenario, you would have to wait the seven-day period to reset the PIN and claim the number. The email link is a safeguard that ensures even if you forget your PIN, you can prove your identity via email, which is more reliable and less susceptible to the previous user’s actions.
In summary, the email address linked to your WhatsApp two-step verification is not a redundant step—it’s the critical recovery key for your account. It protects you not just from hackers but also from the simple risk of forgetting your own PIN, ensuring that your communication and data remain accessible and secure.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enable Two-Step Verification
Two-step verification (also known as two-factor authentication or 2FA) is a crucial security feature that adds an extra layer of protection. When enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp will require a six-digit PIN that you create. This prevents hackers who might have obtained your SMS verification code from accessing your account.
Here’s how to enable it:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings. On Android, this is done by tapping the three vertical dots in the top-right corner. On iPhone, it’s the gear icon in the bottom-right.
- Tap on Account.
- Select Two-step verification.
- Tap Enable.
- Create a six-digit PIN and then enter it again to confirm. It should be a PIN you’ll remember but is difficult for others to guess.
- You’ll then have the option to add an email address. This is highly recommended as it allows you to reset your PIN if you forget it. If you skip this, you may have to wait 7 days to reset your PIN if you forget it.
- Enter your email address and tap Next.
- Confirm your email address and tap Save or Done.
Once two-step verification is enabled, WhatsApp will periodically prompt you to enter your PIN to help you remember it.