DIMAPUR — The mobile phone number and WhatsApp
account of Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) president Chingmak
Chang have been hacked.
On Sunday, January 26, Chang alerted that his number,
8787570813, had been hacked. An FIR has been registered, and he advised people
not to entertain any text or WhatsApp messages from the aforementioned contact
number.
The Cyber Crime Cell in Tuensang also alerted that the ENPO
president’s number has been compromised and advised caution regarding any
messages requesting financial transactions in his name.
The Nagaland Police had previously cautioned the public
about phone numbers and WhatsApp hacking, alerting that scammers send malicious
links or Android Application Package (APK) files via WhatsApp or other social
media platforms and that clicking on these links can result in a WhatsApp
account being hacked.
Safety measures
WhatsApp accounts are also commonly hacked through the
sharing of verification codes with scammers. The hacked accounts are then used
to ask for financial assistance from the victim's contact list. Other criminal
activities are also carried out through the hacked accounts.
The Nagaland Police shared safety measures for users,
advising them to enable two-step verification for enhanced security of their
WhatsApp account, refrain from clicking or installing unknown links or APK
files from untrusted sources, and never share their WhatsApp verification code.
WhatsApp never asks for the verification code, and anyone
requesting it is likely attempting a scam. It is important to spread awareness
about hacked accounts to prevent monetary loss or other criminal activities.
To prevent further misuse, initiate the recovery of the
hacked WhatsApp account by reinstalling the app. If any monetary requests are
received through WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm the authenticity.
