Jaipur. Cybercriminals in Rajasthan have adopted a dangerous new method to compromise WhatsApp accounts, prompting the state police to issue a formal advisory to the public. Under the guidance of Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar Sharma, the R4C Cyber Crime branch has highlighted how attackers are gaining unauthorized access to private accounts to solicit money from unsuspecting contacts under the guise of medical emergencies or urgent financial needs.
According to Additional Director General of Police for Cyber Crime, V.K. Singh, the modus operandi involves sophisticated social engineering tactics. Fraudsters often trick users into scanning malicious QR codes or clicking on deceptive links that link the victim's WhatsApp account to an external, attacker-controlled device. Once the account is compromised, the perpetrators gain full access to the user's contact list and chat history, allowing them to impersonate the victim effectively.
The police have identified several red flags that users should monitor. These include the sudden appearance of unknown devices in the linked devices menu, unexpected logouts, or receiving unsolicited one-time passwords. Furthermore, if friends or family report receiving strange messages requesting funds from your account, it is a clear indicator that your digital identity has been breached.
To safeguard against these threats, authorities strongly advise enabling two-step verification with a robust PIN and a linked recovery email. Users must never share registration codes or verification pins with anyone, as legitimate support services will never request this information. It is also critical to avoid scanning QR codes from unverified sources and to refrain from installing remote-access or screen-sharing applications at the request of strangers.
If you suspect your account has been compromised, immediately navigate to the linked devices section in your settings and terminate all active sessions. Re-register your account using your phone number and perform a thorough security scan of your device. Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately to the national cybercrime portal at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the dedicated helpline at 1930. Local assistance is also available through the cyber helpdesk numbers 9256001930 and 9257510100.