What to do if your WhatsApp account has been hacked

WhatsApp accounts are not hacked just like that, but it may be the case that, for one reason or another, your WhatsApp account ends up in other people’s hands. We tell you the steps you should take if you suspect that someone may be using your WhatsApp without your permission.

Several situations can occur in case someone has hacked your WhatsApp, from a SIM Swapping attack to the scam of asking for the security code, if you have left your WhatsApp account open in a public place or if your phone has been stolen. . We tell you what to do in each case.

If they registered your WhatsApp without your permission

If you get this on WhatsApp and it wasn’t you, someone is trying to register your number on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp can only be used on one main mobile at a time, but it could be the case that one day you want to use your WhatsApp and it does not work, instead you receive a message warning you that your account has been set up on another phone. If it’s not you, you may be the victim of a WhatsApp attack to use your account for purposes such as sending spam to your contacts.

This may have happened in several ways. To register the WhatsApp account on another phone, the attacker you need to receive the confirmation code which is sent by SMS, so in these attacks sometimes scammers choose to open a chat asking you to pass them the code “that they have sent to your mobile by mistake.” With the code, they can register the account on their mobile. It is also possible that you have malware on your mobile that spies on your SMS, so that whoever is exploiting this malware can obtain the code as soon as it is sent to your mobile.

It could also be the case that have obtained a duplicate SIM card, convincing your telephone operator that it is you asking for a duplicate. If this were the case, the SIM card in your mobile phone would not work and the attacker could obtain the verification code directly on your mobile phone.

Taking all of the above into account, these are the steps you must take to recover your WhatsApp account as soon as possibleif you are sure that someone is using it without your permission:

If you suspect that your SIM card may have been duplicated, check with your operator to find out if this is the case. If so, cancel the duplicate SIM card, order a new duplicate, and consider taking action against your carrier for not thoroughly verifying that the duplicate was legal. In the past, operators have received million-dollar fines for this. When you have your SIM active again, you can register your WhatsApp on your mobile again. Meanwhile, write to WhatsApp support with the text Stolen/lost phone: Please deactivate my account and your phone number with its international prefix, so they can deactivate the account.

• Notify your contacts. Surely many of your contacts use other messaging applications. Let them know, either by message or with a call, that someone is using your WhatsApp account and therefore they should be alert and not visit links, install apps or send money to whoever writes to them.
• Try registering your number again. The best way to kick the intruder out of your WhatsApp is to register it again on your mobile. To do this you can click on To check and enter the code that will arrive on your mobile (if your SIM still works). You may need to wait a few hours for this option to become available.
• If you are asked for a verification code that you do not know It’s because the attacker has enabled two-step verification, something we strongly recommend you do yourself when you recover your account. You will then have to wait seven days to access your account without knowing that code, but the good news is that the other person will be logged out anyway.

If they spy on you with an open session

One more way around the house in which someone can spy on your WhatsApp is through a WhatsApp Web session, WhatsApp Desktop or by configuring WhatsApp on another mobile phone or tablet. The latest versions of multi-device mode allow use these linked versions of WhatsApp independentlyalthough you will receive periodic reminders that “WhatsApp Web is currently active”, but if you have a lot of notifications on your mobile you may not notice.

This can happen because someone has carelessly took your phone and added a new linked device, something that is more difficult now because the app asks you to use your mobile biometrics before doing so. It may also be that you have left WhatsApp Web open on a shared PC, tablet or mobile phone, such as in a library or at work.

The good news is that if you keep your main phone with WhatsApp, you have complete control over these secondary sessions and you can close them as you wish, in addition to being able to check if it is true that they are spying on you in this way or not. This is what you have to do:

• Check open sessions on WhatsApp. Tap on the menu ⋮ and enter Linked devices, to see all the places where your WhatsApp is in use. An important part of the information is that it indicates the last time the session was active.
• If you see a sesuspicious iontap on it and press Sign off.

If your cell phone has been stolen

If your phone has been stolen, you will need to order a new SIM

The worst thing that can happen to you is that your phone has been stolen, because then you will have to worry about a lot more personal data in addition to your WhatsApp. The good news is that, if the cell phone was sufficiently protected and locked, whoever has it in their possession now You will not be able to access your data or your WhatsApp.

If the mobile phone was not blocked or protected and you are aware that your WhatsApp is being used without your permission, these are some of the steps you must take to protect your WhatsApp accountin addition to other important data that you may have on your mobile.

• Notify your contacts. Notify your contacts that your phone has been stolen and they could receive messages or calls from someone pretending to be you.
• Cancel at SIM. Call your operator, cancel the current SIM and request a duplicate.
• Change your passwords, especially those from global accounts such as Google, Facebook or Twitter. Changing your password automatically logs you out.
• Report it to the police. He goes to a police station and reports the theft. You will need the IMEI code of the mobile, which you can get in Find my device.
• Lock or delete all your content remotely. Also from Find my deviceyou can order the blocking or deletion of all data on the phone.
• Write to WhatsApp. Send a message to the WhatsApp support email with the text Stolen/lost phone: Please deactivate my account and your phone number with its international prefix, so they can deactivate the account.