by Received a WhatsApp call or message from an unknown number? Your account could be subject to spam or even fraud as millions of WhatsApp account phone numbers are currently for sale on a hacking forum.
As reported by Cybernews (opens in new tab), someone is selling a 2022 database of 487 million WhatsApp mobile numbers. This includes accounts from 84 countries such as the US, UK, Russia, Egypt and many others. Apparently 32 million US records are included as well as 11 million from the UK. WhatsApp has around two billion monthly active users worldwide, and this leak puts almost half a billion users at risk.
Cybernews also points out that the leaked accounts belong to all active WhatsApp users. The seller may have obtained the phone numbers through a process called scraping, which refers to collecting information on a large scale – although it’s against WhatsApp’s terms of service.
The seller also announced that it is selling the US data for $7,000. WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, has not yet commented on the leak.
How to protect yourself from WhatsApp attacks
The information leaked in this case, phone numbers of WhatsApp users, is mainly used for phishing attacks, scams or to send spam. If you are an active WhatsApp user, beware of unknown numbers trying to message or call you on the platform.
The most important thing you need to do to protect yourself from attackers who may have gotten your WhatsApp number is to change your privacy settings. In WhatsApp, go to “Settings”, tap “Privacy” and then change your “Last seen and online” setting, “Profile photo” and “About” to “Contacts only”.
You can also enable 2-Step Verification to further secure your WhatsApp account. In the app, go to Settings, tap Account, then tap 2-Step Verification. This will prompt you to create a PIN, which adds another layer of security to your account.
In case you receive a suspicious message from an unknown WhatsApp number, do not click or open any link they may send and block the number immediately.
Also pay attention to which messaging apps you install as some WhatsApp clones turned out to be malware in disguise. Earlier this year, Meta sued several Chinese companies it accused Stealing over a million WhatsApp accounts (opens in new tab) about fake versions of the app.
Next: You can now message yourself on WhatsApp – here’s everything you need to know.
