What to do if your WhatsApp account has been hacked

WhatsApp accounts are not hacked like that, but it could be that for one reason or another, your WhatsApp account ends up in the hands of other people. We tell you the steps to follow if you suspect that someone is using your WhatsApp without your permission.

Several situations can occur in case someone has hacked into your WhatsApp, from the SIM Swapping attack to the scam asking for the security code, whether you left your WhatsApp account open in a public place or your phone mobile has been stolen. we tell you what to do in each case.

If they recorded your WhatsApp without your permission

WhatsApp can only be used on one primary mobile at a time, but there may be times when you want to use your WhatsApp and it doesn’t work for you, instead receiving a message warning you that your account was set up on another phone. If it wasn’t you, you may have fallen victim to a WhatsApp attack to use your account for purposes such as sending spam to your contacts.

This could have happened in several ways. To save WhatsApp account on another phone, the attacker you must receive the confirmation code sent by SMSTherefore, in these attacks, crooks sometimes choose to open a chat asking you to pass the code “they sent to your mobile by mistake”. With the code, they can register the account on their mobile. It is also possible that you have malware on your mobile that is spying on your text messages, so whoever exploits this malware can get the code as soon as it is sent to your mobile.

It could also be that have obtained a duplicate of your SIM card, by convincing your telephone operator that you are the one requesting a duplicate. If so, your mobile SIM card would not work for you and the attacker could get the verification code directly from your mobile.

Considering all the above, here are the steps you need to perform to recover your WhatsApp account as soon as possibleif you are sure someone is using it without your permission:

• If you think your SIM card may have been duplicatedCheck with your carrier to find out if this is the case. If so, cancel the copy of the SIM card, order a new copy, and consider taking action against your carrier for not thoroughly verifying that the copy was legal. In the past, operators have received millions in fines for this. When your SIM card is active again, you can re-register your WhatsApp on your mobile. In the meantime, write to WhatsApp support with the text Stolen/lost phone: Please deactivate my account and your phone number with its international prefix, so that they deactivate the account.

• Notify your contacts. Sure, many of your contacts are using other messaging apps. Let them know via message or call that someone is using your WhatsApp account so they should be aware of it and not visit any links, install apps or send money to anyone who writes to them.

• Try again to save your number. The best way to kick the intruder out of your WhatsApp is to re-register it on your mobile. To do this, you can click Check and enter the code that will arrive on your mobile (if your SIM continues to work). You may have to wait a few hours for this option to become available.

• If you are asked for a verification code that you do not know this is because the attacker enabled 2-step verification, which we strongly recommend you do yourself when recovering your account. You will then have to wait seven days to access your account without knowing this code, but the good news is that you will be disconnected from the other person anyway.

If they spy on you with an open session

Another way to walk around the house through which someone can spy on your WhatsApp is through WhatsApp web session, WhatsApp Desktop or by setting up WhatsApp on another mobile or tablet. The latest versions of multi-device mode allow use these linked versions of WhatsApp independentlyAlthough you will get periodic reminders that “WhatsApp Web is currently active”, but if you have many notifications on your mobile, you might not notice it.

It can happen because someone has carelessly took your mobile and added a new paired device, which is more difficult now because the app requires you to use mobile biometrics before doing so. You may also have left WhatsApp Web open on a shared PC, tablet or mobile, such as in a library or at work.

The good news is that if you keep the main mobile with WhatsApp, you have full control over these secondary sessions and you can close them at will, in addition to being able to check if it is true that they are spying on you in this way or not. Here’s what you need to do:

• Check open sessions on Whatsapp. Press menu ⋮ and enter Paired devices, to see all the sites where your WhatsApp is used. An important part of the information is that it indicates the last time the session was active.

• If you see a suspicious sessionpress it and press Log out.

If your mobile has been stolen

The worst thing that can happen to you is that your mobile phone has been stolen because then you will have to worry about a lot more personal data besides your WhatsApp. The good news is that if the mobile was sufficiently protected and locked, whoever has it now You will not be able to access your data or your WhatsApp.

If the mobile has not been blocked or protected and you know that it is using your WhatsApp without your permission, here are some of the steps you need to follow to protect your whatsapp accountin addition to other important data that you may have on your mobile.

• Notify your contacts. Notify your contacts that your cell phone has been stolen and they may receive messages or calls from someone impersonating you.

• Cancel on SIM. Call your operator, cancel the current SIM card and request a duplicate.

• change your passwords, including those from global accounts such as Google, Facebook or Twitter. Changing the password automatically logs you out.

• report it to the police. Go to the police station and report the theft. You will need the mobile’s IMEI code, which you can get from Find My Device.

• Block or delete all your content remotely. Also from find my deviceyou can order to block or delete all data from the phone.

• Write to WhatsApp. Send a message to WhatsApp support email with the text Lost/stolen phone: please deactivate my account and your phone number with its international prefix, so that they deactivate the account.