Public Alert: WhatsApp Hackers on the Prawl

Public Alert: WhatsApp Hackers on the Prawl

Police have issued a warning to the public to exercise caution when using digital platforms, particularly WhatsApp, following a surge in cyber attacks.

Cyber attackers are inviting users to click onto unknown numbers or exposing users to phishing scams where the attackers deceive people into providing sensitive data through fraudulent messages.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated that authorities are working diligently to apprehend the perpetrators.

There is a rampant cyberattack targeting senior Government officials, media personnel, and people across the country, where messages are sent from unknown numbers, usually foreign numbers. The moment you click on a link, you will be hacked.

Hacking has become increasingly sophisticated in the digital age. Cyber criminals exploit vulnerabilities in software and human behaviour to gain unauthorised access to personal and financial information once given access by the phone owner.

Public Alert: WhatsApp Hackers on the Prawl

Phishing, a common tactic, involves deceiving individuals into providing sensitive data through fraudulent emails or messages.

With the rise of mobile messaging platforms like WhatsApp, scammers have adapted their strategies, creating urgent and convincing scenarios to manipulate users.

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Comm Nyathi emphasised the need for the public to stay alert and treat messages from unknown numbers with caution.

“The public should desist from opening links from unknown sources, and as the police, we are using resources at our disposal to flush out these suspects.”

Once scammers gain control of accounts, they solicit money from the victim’s contacts, often pretending to be in a state of emergency.

On WhatsApp, scammers send urgent messages to every contact, feigning a crisis and requesting financial assistance. On Facebook, they reach out to every friend.