SINGAPORE: Five folks have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a scam involving the takeover of WhatsApp accounts.
Criminal Investigation Department officers arrested 4 males – aged between 27 and 37 – and a 34-year-old lady throughout an operation carried out on Nov 29 and 30, stated police on Friday (Dec 3).
Three of the boys are additionally being investigated over drug-related offences.
“During the operation, an array of mobile phones, a laptop, tablets, bank cards, substances believed to be controlled drugs and drug-related paraphernalia were seized,” the police added.
Syndicates working such scams work to steal the six-digit verification code. They then use it to lock out the real person of the WhatsApp account.
In one variant of the scam, syndicate members will fake to be pals and family members of the real person of the WhatsApp account and request for on-line present playing cards.
Police stated one of the boys arrested – a 37-year-old – was charged on Dec 1 with unauthorised entry to pc materials. He has been remanded for additional investigations.
Investigations towards the opposite 4 suspects are ongoing.
The police stated first-time offenders convicted of knowingly inflicting a pc to carry out any operate for the aim of securing entry with out authority to any program or knowledge held in any pc could also be jailed for as much as two years, fined as much as S$5,000 (RM15,431), or each.
Those who reoffend could also be jailed for as much as three years, fined as much as S$10,000 (RM30,862), or each, if discovered responsible.
Police on Friday additionally gave some suggestions so customers can defend their WhatsApp accounts:
• Do not share the WhatsApp account verification codes with anybody.
• Be cautious of uncommon requests acquired over WhatsApp, even when despatched by WhatsApp contacts.
• Protect the WhatsApp account by enabling the “Two-Step Verification” characteristic, which is accessed through the settings operate.
• Change the voicemail account’s default private identification quantity to keep away from easy accessibility by scammers, or deactivating the characteristic you probably have no use for it. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network
