Who would have thought that the way of logging into WhatsApp accounts could be misused to hack user data without their knowledge?
How is it done?
If you receive a message on your phone explaining that an error has been made and that you have received a message containing a code from another person allowing them to connect to WhatsApp, above all, do not disclose this code!
Here is why:
Anyone who has access to this code, along with your phone number, could enter your account, and block you in such a way that you can no longer access it.
How does it work?
The only information needed to connect to someone's WhatsApp account is a valid phone number and a verification code that you will receive at this number by SMS, used to verify the authenticity of the person wishing to connect.
Unfortunately, some people have decided to take advantage of this ease of use against WhatsApp's users.
All they need to know is the phone number of their potential victim.
By registering on the application with this phone number that does not belong to them, these same people cannot access the accounts without the access code which was sent to the phone of the victims. Then, the victims receive the following message:
"Hey, I accidentally sent a WhatsApp verification code to your phone. Can you send it to me?"
If a victim responds to this message with the code they received by text message, the perpetrators are in possession of the victim's telephone number, and also of the identity verification code.
In other words, they have it all.
Nothing then bars their access to their victims' WhatsApp accounts, from which they can block them.
A tip, as WhatsApp specifies in its terms of use: Never disclose this code to anyone.
"You should never share your WhatsApp verification code with others. If someone is trying to take over your account, they need the SMS verification code sent to your phone number to do so. Without this code, any user attempting to verify your number can’t complete the verification process and use your phone number on WhatsApp. This means you remain in control of your WhatsApp account."
"WhatsApp doesn't have sufficient information to identify the individual who is attempting to verify your WhatsApp account."
So be careful – the security and the use of your WhatsApp account depends on it!