WHATSAPP users have been urged to urgently follow three rules to protect accounts from scammers.
The instant messaging app has over three billion active users, making it a huge target for cyber criminals.
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And Action Fraud has warned users that there has been a huge surge in reports of Whatsapp takeovers, where fraudsters gain access to the account and send messages to contacts with the aim of stealing data and money.
Scammers often also lock people out of their accounts, so they can’t send warnings to friends and family members to tell them they’ve been hacked.
In a post on X, Action Fraud said: “Protect your WhatsApp account against hackers.
“We continue to see a rise in the number of reports relating to WhatsApp account takeovers.”
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So how can you protect your account from scams?
Set up two step verification
One of the best ways to prevent hackers from accessing your account is to set up two-step verification.
This means that nobody can log in to your account unless you verify the log in on a secondary device, such as a laptop or tablet.
Two-step verification makes it almost impossible for hackers to take over your phone, and also alerts you that someone is trying to access your account.
To set up two-step verification head to your Whatsapp app and click on settings, account, two-step verification and enable.
Never share an an activation code
One of the main ways hackers gain access to your account is by sending you a message claiming to be from Whatsapp, asking you to share the activation code that has been texted to you.
If you share the code, hackers can then reset your password, and kick you out of your account.
“Never share your account’s activation code (that 6 digit code you receive via SMS),” Action Fraud said.
Stop, call think
Finally, if you receive a message from a friend or family member asking you for money, try calling them before acting on it.
Calling your family member helps to confirm their identity, and that they are actually asking you for cash.
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You could ask a question that only your loved one would know the answer to, or set up a code word in advance to ask the sender for if you worry they are not who they say they are.
Scammer often pretend to be people’s children, beginning their messages with ‘hi mum’, or ‘hi dad’.
They then claim to have lost their phone and be locked out of their bank account, praying on the parents’ concern for their children’s safety.
Eventually, the fraudsters beg the mum or dad for rent money, with parents often forking out as they genuinely believe the texts are from their children.
These messages often arrive via WhatsApp or text message, with scammers also sometimes pretending to be close friends or parents.
According to Action Fraud, these types of scam messages led to a financial loss of £226,744 in the UK between 2023 and 2025.
