Several verified FB accounts were hacked when people received calls from international numbers on WhatsApp
Post Date – 12:45 AM, Wednesday – 5/10/23
Both Meta-owned platforms have recently experienced spam calls and cyber-hacking, and have also learned of users reporting cybercrime from certain parts of the country.
The instant messaging application WhatsApp is a widely used application. Recently, users have been receiving messages and calls not only from loved ones and acquaintances, but also from scammers.
People were reportedly receiving audio and video calls from international numbers out of the blue. These calls are from different countries such as Ethiopia (251), Malaysia (60), Indonesia (62), Kenya (254), Vietnam (84) etc.
However, just because the calls show a different country code doesn’t mean the source of the call is actually that country. While it’s unclear whether these were attempts to steal data or money, authorities have warned users not to disarm the calls and blocked them immediately.
Speaking to CNBC TV 18, WhatsApp ensured they were working on it, “We have a grievance officer in India who we can contact if users have concerns about their experience and cannot report it through other channels.”
On the other hand, verified Facebook user accounts were hacked. Some were renamed to official meta accounts and scorned with malware-laden ads and links.
While Meta has disabled some accounts reported by industry analyst Matt Navarra as hacked, it remains unclear how those hacked pages could be changed without approval from the company’s systems its name.
As interest in artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT has grown, scammers have been luring WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook users by sharing links to such apps, Meta said. But what we definitely learned is to stay away from unknown numbers and links.
New version of ChatGPT:
Following the privacy concerns of the interactive chatbot ChatGPT, Microsoft is reportedly developing a new version of ChatGPT for specific users and organizations with privacy concerns.
Reports say the company has signed a $10 billion deal with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to buy tweaked versions of the chatbot. The upcoming version will have advanced privacy settings, interestingly at a time when ChatGPT is banned by several countries and companies like Samsung.
twitter delete account
Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Monday that the platform would delete accounts that had been inactive for years, saying the action was “important in freeing up abandoned usernames.”
In another tweet, he said the inactive accounts would be archived. However, as of now, it is unclear when this process began and whether Twitter users will be able to access these archived accounts. Musk also reminded users that their follower numbers may drop as inactive accounts are deleted.
Truecaller activates Caller ID on WhatsApp:
Caller identification app Truecaller said it would soon make its service available on WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users spot potential spam calls on the internet after a spate of spam calls on WhatsApp. In an interview with Reuters, it said the feature is currently in beta and will roll out globally later in May.
— Epsita Gunti and Institutional Reports
