Rajasthan Police issues advisory as cybercriminals hack accounts using fake QR codes

Rajasthan Police issues advisory as cybercriminals hack accounts using fake QR codes Jaipur, Oct 21 : Rajasthan Police’s R-4-C (Rajasthan Cyber Crime) wing has issued an advisory outlining ways to identify scams and protect against them as cybercriminals are targeting individuals by hijacking their WhatsApp accounts.  Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime, V.K. Singh, said cybercriminals use techniques such as fake QR codes, social engineering and OTP theft to gain unauthorised access to WhatsApp accounts. Once an account is compromised, scammers contact people on the victim's contact list, often seeking money under the pretext of medical emergencies or other urgent needs. They may also circulate suspicious links to further their fraudulent activities.  Police officials said that cybercriminals use several methods to gain control of WhatsApp accounts, including tricking users into linking their accounts to unknown devices through fake QR codes or malicious links, impersonating friends, officials or customer support representatives to obtain OTPs, verification codes or two-step verification PINs, exploiting suspicious applications to gain unauthorised access to SMS messages, notifications or accessibility permissions and tricking users into installing remote-access or screen-sharing applications to take control of their devices.  Warning signs to watch for are that users should remain alert to the following indicators of a possible account compromise: The Rajasthan Police has advised citizens to follow precautions to protect their accounts. They said that QR codes received from unknown individuals, websites or unsolicited messages should not be scanned; two-step verification and a strong PIN should be enabled; an OTP, registration code or two-step verification PIN should not be shared with anyone.   The Rajasthan Police has urged citizens to report such incidents, including attempted fraud, promptly to the nearest police station or cyber police station.   Complaints can also be registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in. Victims of financial cyber fraud should call the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 without delay.