WhatsApp Photo Scam Alert: Safeguard Your Financial Information

Cybersecurity specialists are alerting individuals to a new WhatsApp photo scam that can put your financial information at risk. According to Monica Malik, a well-known finance expert, scammers are using a dangerous trick involving photos sent on WhatsApp.

Beware of the New WhatsApp Photo Scam

That's how the scam goes: You can get a message from a number you don't know or even from someone in your contact list. The message will contain an image and a question such as, "Do you know this person?" As innocuous as that sounds, the image might be concealing malware through steganography, a method to hide malicious code within images.

Once you download or open the image, the concealed malware can get triggered and quietly take away your private information. It involves passwords, OTPs (one-time passwords), UPI information, and bank login credentials. The scammers can thereafter utilize this information to empty your bank accounts and you may even be unaware.

This WhatsApp photo scam is particularly risky because it doesn't seem suspicious on first glance. That's why we need to be alert.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Do not open photos from unknown numbers.
• Don't click on suspicious messages, even if they appear friendly.
• Regularly update your phone's antivirus software.
• Never give your banking information or OTPs through WhatsApp.

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A post shared by Monica Malik | Finance (@prettymuchfinance)

Always be careful and pass on this information to your friends and family so that they too can remain safe.