Never send anyone your 6-digit code
Almost every stolen WhatsApp account is taken the same way: someone talks the owner into reading out a code.
The attack is simple. Someone enters your phone number on their own phone. WhatsApp sends the 6-digit registration code to you. They then message you, often from an account you recognise, with a story: they sent a code by mistake, their brother is in hospital, they are verifying a group. If you read the code back, your account moves to their phone and you are logged out.
If someone asks you for a code
- Do not send it, whoever it appears to be from.
- Call the person on the phone. If the request was real they will say so in two seconds; if their account was stolen they need to know.
- Tell your groups. The same message is going to everyone in their contacts.
If it has already happened
- Register WhatsApp again on your own phone with your number. You will get a new code, and that pushes the attacker off.
- If they have turned on two-step verification you may have to wait up to 7 days. Do not uninstall in the meantime.
- Email [email protected] from the address on your account, with your number in full international format.
- Warn your contacts, because the attacker is messaging them as you, usually asking for money.