Beware WhatsApp scammers out to steal your identity, money warns Oman govt body

Oman Tuesday 12/June/2018 20:50 PM
By: Times News Service
Beware WhatsApp scammers out to steal your identity, money warns Oman govt body

Muscat: Do not respond to money transfer requests on WhatsApp, the Oman National Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) warned in a recent
statement.
The government body said, “Oman CERT noticed an increasing number of WhatsApp account compromise reports. Hackers are using social engineering techniques to get verification codes from victims and then using compromised accounts to impersonate the account owner and request a money transfer from the victim’s contact list.” If a WhatsApp account has been compromised, Oman CERT recommends that users reinstall the WhatsApp application, type in their mobile number and wait for a verification code, after which they should type in the two-step verification number and click ‘forgot PIN’.
“A message will appear on the screen that shows that WhatsApp will be suspended for 7 days. If no message appears, click contact support on the same page, then write (My WhatsApp account has been hacked. Please suspend my account number (9XXXXXXXX),” said CERT.
Oman CERT also announced the semi-finals of its “Oman Cyberstars” competition will be held on June 28. The competition aims to help the Sultanate identify the next generation of cyber security professionals. The competition will test participants across a wide range of cyber security competencies—”Ethical Hacking”, “Intrusion Detection and Security Monitoring”, and “Computer Forensics”.
Oman CERT was launched in April 2010 to analyse risks and security threats in cyberspace and alert public and private sector entities, as well as individuals.
Its efforts to keep the cyberspace in Oman as secure as possible play a key role in ensuring users feel confidant while interacting with all government e-services in the Sultanate.

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