Mumbai, June 9: In a shocking incident that took place in West Bengal, online fraudsters are reportedly said to have hacked the WhatsApp of a woman in Kolkata. The incident came to light after the 45-year-old woman, a Tollygunge homemaker approached the cyber cell of Kolkata police The woman in her complaint claimed that her WhatsApp was compromised with all her contacts receiving messages seeking monetary help.

According to a report in the Times of India, the woman said that the incident took place last week after the Wi-fi at her residence had malfunctioned. Speaking about the WhatsApp scam modus operandi, an officer said, "Each WhatsApp account is linked to one phone number on one device. When hackers try to link them on to their own, they try to get it done through a verification code. If you give this code out, a fraudster can access all your phone contacts." New WhatsApp Scam: People Receiving Fraud Calls and Messages From International Numbers, Here's What the Modus Operandi of Fraudsters To Dupe Users.

The officer further said that they have written to WhatsApp and are trying to retrieve her account. Meanwhile, acting on the woman's complaint, the police have launched a probe to nab the accused. Cops said that after the complainant's WiFi malfunctioned, she lodged a complaint with the telecom service provider.

On June 5, a few days after her complaint, the woman received a call from a person who said that he was from the telecom company. The so called executive asked the woman to dial a code starting with 401. It must be noted that the "401" code is used to forward messages and calls. The complainant thought that this would resolve her Wi-fi issues, however, she realised that her WhatsApp number was compromised. E-Nuggets Game Fraud Scam: Kolkata Police Seize Rs 32 Crore Different Bank Accounts.

The complaint also alleged that several people on her contact list received a request which said that she was in trouble and required money to travel to Odisha. After the incident, cops said that they have been receiving multiple complaints of WhatsApp hacks since the COVID-19 pandemic. They also said that they received at least two formal complaints and multiple online complaints.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 09, 2023 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).