FIA Multan could not recovered the hacked accounts inspite of elapsing 12 hours, stated victims on phone.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the Senate on Tuesday that about 1,500 WhatsApp accounts have been hacked across the country since July 1, adding that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had recovered some of the accounts while work to recover others was underway.
Even though the Meta-owned application is end-to-end encrypted, which adds an extra layer of security to communication, hackers could still target devices through unsecured connections and access private conversations.
In details provided to the Senate today, the security czar said the “FIA’s Cybercrime Wing (CCW) had received 1,426 complaints related to hacked accounts since July 1,” adding that the figure did not include users who had not yet reported their compromised accounts.
He said 549 hacked accounts were successfully restored from the registered complaints, while the CCW was currently processing a further 877 complaints, with 20 cases escalated to formal inquiries.
Naqvi said 40 complaints remained unanswered and 817 were still in the verification stage.
Last year, ex-chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar claimed that a complaint was filed with the CCW for recovery of his “hacked” WhatsApp account.
Sources in the FIA had said that the agency would follow the standard operating procedure on the complaint of Nisar’s son.
The sources had said that the agency received enormous complaints through its online portal and other forums, but it lacked the required staff to process all those complaints. Moreover, they had said that the FIA was not equipped with modern gadgets required to counter cybercrime.
Government officials were also warned against replying to WhatsApp messages after security agencies identified malware to gain access to important government documents.
Some hackers had attempted to gain access to mobile phones of senior bureaucrats by pretending to be government officials.
They had also tried to seek information by sending malware through WhatsApp.
A senior government official, who was privy to the hacking attempts, had told Dawn that some joint secretaries and additional secretaries in different ministries received messages from hackers impersonating their bosses and other senior officials in various departments.
In 2019, senior government officials in multiple US-allied countries, including Pakistan, were targeted with hacking software that used WhatsApp to take over users’ phones, according to people familiar with the messaging company’s investigation.
Sources familiar with WhatsApp’s internal investigation into the breach had said a “significant” portion of the known victims were high-profile government and military officials spread across at least 20 countries on five continents.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued a public warning regarding a surge in WhatsApp account hacks, with a particular emphasis on women's accounts being targeted.
According to the FIA spokesperson, cybercriminals are employing sophisticated techniques such as phishing and social engineering to gain unauthorized access to users' personal information.
In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in reports of WhatsApp accounts being compromised. The attackers exploit the hijacked accounts by accessing personal chats, photos, and videos, which are then used for blackmail and exploitation purposes.
Phishing tactics employed by these cybercriminals often involve deceptive messages designed to trick users into revealing personal information or clicking on malicious links. Social engineering techniques further facilitate unauthorized access, with female users being disproportionately affected by these attacks.
The FIA has provided several recommendations to safeguard WhatsApp accounts from such intrusions:
1. Enable two-step verification: This security feature adds an extra layer of protection, helping to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
2. Exercise caution with unfamiliar messages: Avoid opening messages, photos, videos, or files from unknown or suspicious numbers, as they may contain harmful links or malware.
3. Regularly update privacy settings: Reviewing and updating your WhatsApp privacy settings can help limit the accessibility of your personal information.
In the unfortunate event that your WhatsApp account is hacked, the FIA advises taking the following immediate actions:
