A number of free apps have come out as of recently through which several forms of scams and malicious, fraudulent activities are being carried out, particularly in the UAE.
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The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (UAETRA) shared an advisory through social media to warn those who are in the habit of downloading unauthorized version of apps which claim to have ‘special features’ as these may potentially be used for malicious transactions and unscrupulous activities.
#تنويه #attention #هيئة_تنظيم_الاتصالات #aeCERt pic.twitter.com/SbmZgjru3Q
— هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات (@TheUAETRA) November 8, 2018
UAE Gov’t Warns Citizens of Fraudulent Activities on Popular Messaging App
In the tweet posted by the UAETRA, the warning says: “Beware of ‘WhatsUp Gold’ and other third-party applications that claim to include special features.”
The tweet claimed unauthorized applications are unsafe and pose a threat to the user’s privacy.
There have been several instances when the popular messaging app WhatsApp has been used to carry out scams and other unlawful activities. Most recently, a group of hackers posed as members of WhatsApp’s support team in an attempt to trick unsuspecting users into providing them access to their accounts to tamper with their app activities and sessions.
In the event your WhatsApp account has been hacked, the UAETRA offers the following guidelines to ensure your security and to prevent further damages:
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ماذا تفعل إذا تم اختراق #الواتساب ؟
What do you do if your WhatsApp account hacked?#هيئة_تنظيم_الاتصالات #aeCERT pic.twitter.com/DZ7r9NqN5V— هيئة تنظيم الاتصالات (@TheUAETRA) June 17, 2018
- Delete and reinstall WhatsApp at varying times of the day.
- Immediately inform your relatives and friends about the hacking and advise them not to respond to any messages coming from your number through WhatsApp.
- E-mail the technical support team of WhatsApp at support@whatsapp.com and indicate your compromised number using this format: +9715XXXXXXXX.
Hacking is among one of the many forms of e-crimes going on today. While technology has certainly brought us a number of great benefits, it has also opened up new opportunities for criminals to carry out their malicious deeds so utmost care and protection for our digital assets is extremely advised.