National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Director General Syed Khurram Ali has said there has been an alarming rise in cases involving the hacking of WhatsApp and bank accounts.
Speaking to the media, he said an action plan has been prepared to deal with WhatsApp hacking. He said an online helpline is being established to guide people in restoring hacked WhatsApp accounts.
He said the NCCIA, in cooperation with Meta, has decided to launch a public awareness campaign in local languages. He advised users to enable two-step verification to improve the security of their accounts.
Syed Khurram Ali said incidents of WhatsApp hacking had declined, but cyber criminals were using new methods. He said the increase in internet and mobile phone use had also led to a rise in online fraud.
He said cyber crime gangs operating through international networks had been arrested with the help of international cooperation.
He urged the public not to share confidential verification codes received on their mobile phones with anyone. He said sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) remained one of the main reasons for WhatsApp accounts being hacked.
He added that work was under way to prevent the misuse of OTPs through technology. He advised people to follow safety measures to protect their WhatsApp and bank accounts.
