Help! My WhatsApp Was Hacked — What Do I Do Now?

Newsletter Topics: Steps to Recover a WhatsApp Account

🗞️ In the News:  In last week’s issue, we shared tips on how to protect your WhatsApp account and prevent it from being compromised.

With 2.5 billion monthly users, WhatsApp is a prime target for hackers and scammers. In fact, in 2022, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, sued Chinese app developers for compromising over 1 million accounts.

If you're a frequent WhatsApp user, you probably know someone who has had their account compromised. If that’s the case, here are some steps you can take to recover your account.

👀 Today’s Focus: My WhatsApp Was Hacked! What Do I Do Now?

Since there are numerous ways a WhatsApp account can be compromised, no single step will recover your account. Instead, recovery involves trying several actions, such as removing linked devices, reinstalling WhatsApp, and re-registering your phone number.

Step A: Are you still able to access your WhatsApp account? Yes - If you can view your chats and access WhatsApp settings, here are a few steps you can take to lock out scammers:

1. Log Out Linked Devices: Open WhatsApp on your mobile device and navigate to: Settings > Linked Devices. You will see all devices remotely accessing your account. Click on each one and “Log out”.

2. Enable Two-Step Verification: Open WhatsApp on your mobile device and navigate to: Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification, and tap Enable.

3. Monitor your Account for Strange Activity: Continue to monitor your device for strange activities, for example:

   • Odd messages from unknown contacts.

   • Messages sent from your account you didn’t send.

   • Messages from a “friend” asking you about verification codes.

   • Linked devices you don’t recognize.

   • Delete, any suspicious third-party apps that you might have installed on your device.

Step B: Are you still able to access your WhatsApp account? No - If you can't access your WhatsApp, it means the hacker has registered your account on their device. They will likely enable two-step verification, so when you try to re-register your phone, you'll be asked for a PIN you don't know.

The recovery process might be slow and frustrating, but here are the steps you need to follow to regain access to your account. These steps are recommended by WhatsApp support, so we advise against paying anyone for assistance. If these steps don’t work, your next option is to seek help from your phone provider.

1. Delete Suspicious Apps: Delete, any suspicious third-party apps that you might have installed recently on your device.

2. Delete & Re-Install WhatsApp: Delete WhatsApp from your device and reinstall it. Be sure to download the app from the official app store for your device to ensure it's safe and legitimate.

3. Re-register WhatsApp: Sign into WhatsApp with your phone number and enter the 6-digit code you receive via SMS. You may need to attempt this a couple of times.

   

   1. Enter your phone number
   2. Enter the 6-digit code sent via text message
   3. Type the PIN code set up for the two-step verification (more details below)

4. Wait 7 Days: You are likely to get stuck at the two-step verification screen (item #3 above) because you may not know the PIN. This could be because you never set it up, or the hacker has changed it.

   • If you are stuck at the two-step verification screen, you must wait 7 days before you can sign in without the two-step verification PIN. In 7 days re-attempt step 3: re-register WhatsApp. This part is frustrating, but it is WhatsApp current design.

   • The Good News: Whether you know this PIN or not, the hacker was logged out of your account once you've entered the 6-digit SMS code.

⭐ Share a story by replying to this email! - If you or someone you know has been hacked or compromised, share your story! We are always looking to raise awareness within our community!

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