Pay Attention to These Signs
on WhatsApp, It Could Be
Being Tapped from a Distance
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia –Lately, fraud through digital channels has become increasingly horrific. In the Financial Services Authority (OJK) report, the Indonesia Anti Scam Center recorded 79,969 complaint reports from January 1 to March 31, 2025.
The Chief Executive of Financial Services Business Actors’ Behavior Supervision, Education, and Consumer Protection Friderica Widyasari Dewi said that the public’s losses from the report reached IDR 1.7 trillion. “With the victim’s funds of IDR 134.7 billion blocked,” said Kiki in the Press Conference on the Financial Services Sector Assessment and OJK Policy Results of the Monthly Board of Commissioners Meeting (RDKB) March 2025, quoted Sunday (13/4/2025).
One of the channels that is often used to commit fraud in this digital era is WhatsApp. The instant messaging application is often targeted to steal personal data that can be used to drain the victim’s account.
Therefore, it is important for you to be aware of some signs that WhatsApp has been accessed without permission by irresponsible people.
Signs that WhatsApp has been hacked:
1. OTP
A One Time Password (OTP) code is sent via SMS when accessing WhatsApp. If you suddenly receive an OTP code mysteriously, it is possible that someone is trying to log into your WhatsApp account. Remember not to give the OTP code to anyone.
2. Exiting WhatsApp
Another sign that your WhatsApp account has been hacked is suddenly exiting the application. It is possible that another device is trying to log into your account.
3. Read Messages
Another possibility that your account has been hacked is that there are messages that have been read, even though you don’t feel like you have opened and read them before.
4. Messages Sent by Themselves
Just like before, if there are mysterious messages that are sent by themselves, it is possible that your WhatsApp account has been hacked.
5. Stranger WA Status
A sign that an account has been hacked is that the account uploads a WhatsApp status that you never created.
6. Make a phone call
If there is a foreign phone call that you did not make, it could be another sign that your account has been tapped.
WhatsApp Tapped Solution
One thing that can be done to prevent your WhatsApp account from being tapped is to activate two-step verification security. This method prevents hackers from accessing WhatsApp because they do not know the code used for the feature.
Here’s how to activate two-step verification:
1. Click the three-dot option
2. Go to Settings, then go to Account and click Two-Step Verification
3. Press Enable
4. Enter six codes
5. Don’t forget to enter an email address to recover the code when you forget it
In addition to these preventive measures, you can also do the following:
Report to WhatsApp
One step that can be taken when you find out that WhatsApp has been hacked is to contact WhatsApp. Report the incident by sending an email to support@whatsapp.com with the keyword “Lost/stolen: please deactivate my account” in the body of the email to deactivate the account.
Convey the chronology of events, such as when and how the account was hacked. There is a 30-day period for users to activate their accounts before they are deleted forever.
Re-Login
Another way is to reinstall WhatsApp. After that, log in again with the number used previously.
Lock WhatsApp Account Screen
You can also lock the screen so that no one else can access it. The method is to go to the Settings menu> Privacy> select the Lock Screen option> Scan fingerprints.
Check WhatsApp Web Diligently
Also check what devices are logged in using WhatsApp Web. Remove or remove unrecognized devices. Here’s how to check it:
– Press the three-dot option
– Click WhatsApp Web
– Next, you will see a list of devices connected to the WhatsApp account
– Select Log out of all devices.
SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA
