CANACONA
Cybercriminals have been hacking into the WhatsApp accounts of a number of persons in Canacona, to seek money using the identities of the hacked WhatsApp accounts.
In one incident, a resident of Agonda who was asleep at the time, received a WhatsApp call from a member of a WhatsApp group of a centre involved in conducting retreats.
The cybercriminal claimed to be a priest from a retreat centre and asked for a six-digit code received on the victim’s number by mistake.
The unsuspecting resident divulged the 6-digit WhatsApp code received on his number. The hacker then asked the victim to press ‘Accept’ on his phone, and the victim complied with the request, before going back to sleep.
The next morning, when the victim woke up and switched on his phone, he had no access to his WhatsApp account. When a cybercrime complaint helpline (1630) was contacted, he was advised to visit the nearest police station and give an application.
In the meanwhile, several contacts of the victim started receiving urgent requests for money, stating that the money would be returned the next day.
Soon, a complaint was lodged in the matter.
It was found that the hacker using the victim’s WhatsApp ID has made two broadcast groups sending different types of messages, some directly asking for money and others to begin conversations.
A couple who received the message asking for Rs 30,000, went with half of the cash to victim’s house. Claiming that they did not have the entire amount to give him, the neighbours then sought to know the purpose of the urgent need of the cash, only to be told that his WhatsApp number had been hacked.
Incidentally, a number of people in Canacona have been receiving such messages and some have reportedly fallen prey to the hackers.
A person from Cabo-de-Rama claimed to have been a victim of a similar incident after his WhatsApp number was hacked and his contacts getting WhatsApp messages making urgent appeals for money.
