WhatsApp users under attack via fake “friendly” SMS. The lure is the message the companies send when they want to transfer their account on a new phone. The least risk is losing the entire account

WhatsApp users are again under attack. The lure is the SMS that the companies send when they change phones and want to transfer their account. Cybercrime actors have previously hacked one of the victim’s contacts to steal his numbers. Then, they pose as him writing the target to request the code, claiming that it was wrongly sent it to him. In this way, they gain full control of the account. It can be used for many purposes, as to send fake messages to the contacts in the user phonebook, redirecting people to a malicious site or inviting them to download a malware. The mobile device of the victim can also be infected with a trojan to steal sensitive info. Moreover, the only way to solve the crisis is to contact WhatsApp and wait for a new account. However, the old one with all the files and messages will be lost.