Dozens of users of the popular application WhatsApp in Kuwait are being scammed and lose control of their accounts every month, Kuwait Times reported.
According to a source at the Electronic and Cyber Crime Combatting Department (ECCCD), affiliated to the Criminal Investigation Department, the majority of scammers who target users in Kuwait are from abroad.
The Kuwait Times cited an anonymous source who noted that the ECCCD receives about 15 complaints every week.
The source didn’t explain the method used by the scammers to hijack the WhatsApp accounts, but advised people to benefit from information on various types of cybercrimes posted on the department’s official accounts on Instagram and Twitter: @ECCCD.
One of the most recent posts on its Instagram account is a two-factor verification video, which should provide protection to WhatsApp users.
The most common way of hacking a WhatsApp account is when the target clicks on and opens a link sent by a WhatsApp broadcast or message.
The report noted that among those cyber scams circulating in Kuwait include those that are related to registering for an Al-Maktoum competition, and the other about employment at the education ministry.
Some scammers also send out links by WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers, or even familiar numbers that are hacked. A popular scam claims a company is organizing a competition, urging users to register to win a car and other prizes.
Websites such as www.digitbin.com and website www.makeuseof.com are available for users to access and get useful information on how to avoid malware and on the next steps to take on the event that they are victimised by these attacks.
