Protect Yourself from the WhatsApp Missed Call Scam: Tips and Alerts
Scams and spam messages have been a part of phones and mobile networks since their inception. As technology advances, these scams become more sophisticated, and the newest WhatsApp missed call scam has trapped around 500 users.
What’s alarming is that one doesn’t even have to answer the call to get scammed or have their data leaked. A missed call from an unknown international number could trigger this scam, and the AI-generated scam calls latch on to the data of the victim.
two-factor authentication
To stay protected from data hacks, users must change their basic privacy settings of the phone and app. By restricting privacy settings on WhatsApp and enabling two-factor authentication, an added security layer gets added to the user’s data, and the app requires authentication from the user’s email address, which enhances overall data protection.
It’s crucial to note that with this new scam, it’s out of the user’s hands, so they must take preventive measures to safeguard their data.
Report And Block
Another step to protect oneself from the WhatsApp missed call scam is to report and block any suspicious calls or numbers immediately. This not only prevents the same number from making its way back to the user’s phone but also encourages WhatsApp to disable the number completely. Additionally, WhatsApp is developing an update that will allow users to block calls from unknown numbers on the app.
One common question that arises is how scammers obtain users’ phone numbers. It typically starts when users sign up for a website or share their phone number at a store to avail of promotional offers and deals. Unfortunately, weak tech infrastructure and a lack of laws to protect data make it easy for scammers to obtain user data.
India is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches, ranking as the second most vulnerable country in the APAC region, according to a Palo Alto report. Several data breaches have occurred recently, including an attack on Domino’s India that leaked the data of over 180 million people.
To address these issues, a data protection bill is set to be tabled in the monsoon session of parliament. However, until concrete data protection laws are in place, it is up to users to take the necessary steps to safeguard their data.
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