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Dubai: WhatsApp users urged to take this step to protect accounts from hackers

Authorities advised residents to never immediately reply to any messages asking for money or credit card information, even from friends and family

Published: Thu 5 Oct 2023, 1:24 PM

Updated: Thu 16 Nov 2023, 1:17 PM

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In recent days, there has been a surge in reported cases of WhatsApp account takeovers, and Digital Dubai – which was created to accelerate the city’s cybersecurity efforts – has released an awareness video to educate users on how to protect themselves from fraudsters.

“It’s easy to protect yourself (against scammers),” noted Digital Dubai in the one-minute video shared on platform X on Thursday, which is also in line with the observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

“You won’t need any protect software or technical integrations,” Digital Dubai added.

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What must be done is to add an extra security layer to your WhatsApp account by activating the two-step verification.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Go to WhatsApp settings
  2. Go to account
  3. Go to two-step verification
  4. Turn it on

Digital Dubai also advised the public to never immediately reply to any messages asking for money or credit card information, even from friends and family accounts. “Call them first and never respond to such messages. That’s all it takes,” Digital Dubai added.

What happened before

Last month, the authorities also raised alarm over a fraudulent notice sent to residents allegedly from banks on WhatsApp.

The document, titled 'legal notifications', has several grammatical errors: "Sorry, dear customer your bank account (ATM, debit, credit cards) will be freeze (sic) due to some security reasons, (and verify your all correct details) otherwise you (sic) account will be suspended permanent (sic)."

Recently, the Ras Al Khaimah Police arrested a gang of scammers from inside and outside the country for stealing huge sums of money from residents' bank accounts. The gang would pose as bank representatives and contact residents via phone calls or fake WhatsApp messages, the police said.

Banks would never ask customers to disclose personal information via SMS, WhatsApp, e-mails, or phone calls under the pretext of updating accounts, the authorities reiterated. Any suspicious activities should be reported immediately.

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