The new WhatsApp scam that steals your banking details when you press a button: here’s how it works

Since August last year, on WhatsApp you can use the creepy screen sharing feature to help a family member solve any mobile problem. Now this function This is the entry point for cybercriminals to mobile of the user.

All the new features brought to the chat application owned by Meta allow it to realize new uses and make daily life easier with one of the most installed applications in Europe. But as usually happens, some of these functions involve granting certain permissions

Google is developing the screen sharing function in Android 15, but without seeing the notifications that arrive at any time on the mobile. This is very important for privacy, because if the screen is shared, as in this case of WhatsApp, and an SMS arrives with the PIN of the new bank card, the user with whom the screen is shared will see it without problem. .

It is this vulnerability that cybercriminals take advantage of on WhatsApp as well as the lack of technological knowledge of some users. Here are the steps the fraudsters follow:

• User receives a video call and WhatsApp.
• Scammers via video calls warn the user that the camera is not working properly or there is an update error.
• They encourage the victim press share screen button in order to resolve the problem.
• The user presses the button and the scammers can see everything that is happening on the victim’s screen.
• They can send an SMS security code to the mobile phone in order to transfer control of the victim’s WhatsApp account to another device.

The user hangs up the video call and within minutes you risk losing access to your WhatsApp account as well as any information you may have in chats; It is usually easy to pass a screenshot of the bank account to a family member or any sensitive information such as ID or more.

With the upcoming Android 15 update, according to Android Fontthe cybercriminal should I don’t see any notifications like incoming SMS which can reach the user’s mobile phone even when sharing the screen via a video call on WhatsApp. Now, simply, if a person shares it, you can see all the notifications such as this SMS message that arrives on your mobile.