RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – More than five million people were victims of some kind of WhatsApp scam in Brazil last year, according to a survey conducted by a digital security laboratory.
Criminals employ increasingly professional strategies, using what experts call social engineering. They trick the victim to access the WhatsApp recovery code and thus gain access to the victims’ personal data.
This was the case with architect Ana Paula Nonato, who thought she had won a hotel promotion. “You get in touch with the WhatsApp people, look for solutions and nothing works. Meanwhile, they [scammers] start talking to all your contacts, as if they were you,” she says.
First in the ranking of the Brazilian states most affected by this kind of scam is São Paulo, with 1.2 million victims, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 712,000, and by Minas Gerais, with 494,000 people affected. WhatsApp, managed by Facebook, has two billion users – 120 million in Brazil alone.
The company says it has invested in security and says that even if the app is cloned, conversation and media data remain protected.
“This technology, called end-to-end encryption, also prevents ill-intentioned users from reading, listening to or viewing any type of message exchanged before taking possession of third-party WhatsApp accounts,” explains Dario Durigan, WhatsApp Public Policy coordinator.
How can I protect myself from scams on WhatsApp?
A simple configuration in the app increases the security level. Simply go to Settings, click on Account, then confirm it in two steps and enable. The app will ask you to create a six digit code and enter an email address. Then, simply follow the instructions and click confirm.
In case you have had your WhatsApp cloned, due to carelessness or lack of information, the company will advise you to get in touch through e-mail: [email protected]. According to the app, in up to seven days the account will be fully recovered and back to normal.
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