WhatsApp is a popular messaging app, according to ‘World Population Review’, over 850 million people were using it in India by 2024. This number must have increased even further by now. WhatsApp makes big claims about its end-to-end encryption and strong privacy. Despite this, incidents related to hacking and online fraud often come to light, which raise serious questions about users’ privacy. Recently, the Indian cyber security agency CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team) has issued a warning for WhatsApp users. The agency has expressed concern over the misuse of WhatsApp’s device linking feature. The agency has stated in its advisory that cyber criminals can hack your account through the WhatsApp link feature. This scam has been named ‘Ghost Pairing’. So, today, in the Cyber Literacy column, we will talk in detail about the Ghost Pairing scam. We will also learn that- Expert: Rahul Mishra, Cyber Security Advisor, Uttar Pradesh Police Question- What is WhatsApp’s ‘Ghost Pairing’ scam? Answer- This is a new cyber fraud. In this, hackers misuse WhatsApp’s ‘device linking’ feature to link the user’s account to their device without an OTP, password, or SIM swap. Once the device is linked, the hacker gains full access to that account. Surprisingly, the user often remains unaware of this for a long time. Question- What did CERT-In state in its advisory? Answer- CERT-In has warned in its advisory that cybercriminals are misusing WhatsApp’s device linking feature. Hackers link the user’s account to their device via mobile number without additional authentication. This gives them full access to messages, media, and contacts. The agency has advised users to be vigilant, calling it a high-severity threat. Question- How do scammers carry out the ‘Ghost Pairing’ scam? Answer- Cybercriminals often send photos/videos from a known person’s WhatsApp account. As soon as the recipient user opens or reacts to that file, the scammers initiate the WhatsApp linking process. Understand this with the graphic below- Question- What things do scammers get access to through ‘Ghost Pairing’? Answer- In this, scammers get almost complete control of the WhatsApp account. Understand this with the graphic given below- Question- Why do people fall for the ‘Ghost Pairing’ scam? Answer- This scam is carried out by taking advantage of trust, urgency, and lack of technical knowledge. That’s why people easily fall into its trap. For example- Question- What precautions should be taken to avoid ‘Ghost Pairing’? Answer- To avoid this scam, it is very important for users to keep some basic things in mind. Understand it from the graphic given below- Question- What to do immediately if you fall victim to ghost pairing? Answer- First, go to WhatsApp’s Linked Devices settings and immediately log out from all unknown devices. Turn on two-step verification on WhatsApp and change your PIN. If possible, log out of WhatsApp and log in again securely. Also, alert your contacts so they don’t trust suspicious messages coming from your account. If you don’t regain control of the account, file a complaint with the cyber crime helpline or portal. Question- What precautions should be taken to avoid any kind of scam related to WhatsApp? Answer- It is very important to be vigilant to avoid increasing scams on WhatsApp. For this, keep some things in mind. Such as- Question – Where can I complain about this scam? Answer – You can file an online complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal www.cybercrime.gov.in. You can also complain by calling the cybercrime helpline number 1930. Additionally, you can report the issue through the Help/Support section within WhatsApp. This helps in securing the account.
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