Be Alert! WhatsApp Photo Scam on the Rise – Don’t Get Cheated

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A big worrying news has come out for the users of WhatsApp. Cyber criminals are now cheating people by sending photos on WhatsApp. In this new scam, hackers send a blurred photo to the users, below which an attractive caption is written that most users cannot stop themselves from downloading it.

To lure users into their trap, thugs often send messages with blurred photos like - “I have found an old photo of yours” or “Look, the person seen in this photo is your brother.” As soon as the user clicks on this photo out of curiosity, the real game of cyber criminals begins.

To carry out this dangerous scam, clever hackers use a technique called 'steganography'. Through this technique, hackers hide dangerous code (malicious code) in any ordinary looking photo. As soon as a user clicks on the photo containing this malicious code, the malware hidden in it immediately enters the user's device. As soon as the malware reaches the phone, hackers get complete control of the user's smartphone.

Through this malware, hackers can easily access the banking and UPI apps present in the user's phone. Not only this, they can also see text messages and one-time passwords (OTP). Simply put, through this scam, the hacker gets remote access to the user's phone and can tamper with the data present in the phone as per his wish.

Cyber experts have given some important tips to avoid such fraud:

* If you receive any photo or video from an unknown number on your phone, do not open it at all.

* If you receive any suspicious photo, call that number and ensure the identity of the sender. Click on the photo only after being completely satisfied.

* To further strengthen your security, turn off the auto-download feature in WhatsApp. You will find this option in the 'Storage and Data' section given in WhatsApp settings.

* Keep updating your smartphone from time to time. Companies regularly release updates keeping security in mind, which include important security patches, which can prove helpful in protecting you from such cyber attacks.