As warned earlier, the most commonly used way hackers access your private data is through phishing.
In phishing, a hacker sends you what appears to be an innocent message, sometimes posing as a business or person you know, or a beautiful lady dying for love or a handsome guy looking for a relationship partner.
They have now come up with new tricks especially on WhatsApp groups (eg those for funeral and wedding preparations etc) where they send a document link labeled FUNERAL PROGRAMME, TRIBUTES or WEDDING PROGRAMME etc..... The moment you open such links, you compromise your personal data.
Others send you a message that appears to be from eg Facebook requesting that you click a link to update your password or to save your account from being deactivated for an unknown infringement or a WhatsApp link (which is usually a fake link not from WhatsApp) asking you to join a group.
Another trick is through fake lotteries/ fake job opportunities/offers or a fake porn links.
Fraudsters usually target people who wish to get quick money through quick money schemes, bet links promising you "sure odds", job offers that are too good to resist, desperate persons looking for love (Team mafisi from either gender) the gullible who question nothing fronted to them etc
These messages contain a link or file that, once clicked or downloaded, puts malware (virus) on your computer or phone. This malware essentially opens a hole in your cyber security that the hacker can then use to access your network and steal files containing personal information.
The goal of such attacks is usually financially motivated. Specifically
– to steal valuable information or gain immediate financial benefit.
Once the hacker gains access, they could wreak havoc on your network. They send out phishing SMS/messages posing as you to your family, friends, colleagues etc requesting them to send money, pretending to be you who is in urgent need of the money.... and obviously promising to refund in a few hours or after a day.
Others will access to your profile and start sending pornographic material or other irritating messages to your followers so that they can coarse you to pay some ransom in order to recover back your page/channel
NB:
- Before opening any links, be very sure of the source and if it is from a person you know, make a point of calling them first for confirmation
- Before sending any money to a friend, call them first and make sure it is them you are dealing with. Hackers never pick calls and will always give an excuse to communicate to you via text.
- NEVER accept any WhatsApp invite link you have not requested, or from strangers or from anyone you are not very sure of. If anything, call that person first to be sure they are the ones you are dealing with.
- NEVER rush to click in a link purported to be from Facebook especially those sent from unknown sources via email. Such links drive you to a fake form which asks you to complete and eventually lead to a false recovery link that hacks your account.
