Hong Kong police said they received about 50 reports of WhatsApp-account hijacking scams in one week, involving about HK$20 million in losses. The largest reported case involved a businessman who transferred about 2 million USDT — valued at roughly HK$15 million — after receiving what appeared to be a request from a business partner.
The businessman believed the request was genuine and sent the cryptocurrency to an unknown wallet, according to the police account. He discovered the business partner’s WhatsApp account had been taken over only when a company subordinate questioned the transfer request.
Police said via CyberDefender that the scam can begin with an unsolicited message asking the user to verify their account. Replying to it may lead the target into a fake WhatsApp customer-service conversation, followed by a simulated verification process for an iOS or Android device.
The process appears to verify the user’s account but actually pairs another device with it, police said. When the scammer then tries to log in, the victim receives an eight-digit code. Entering that code through the fake instructions allows the other device to take over the account.
Police advised users to call contacts directly if a message says their telephone or bank-account number has changed, and to check linked devices regularly and log out any they do not recognise.
Police also recommended downloading Scameter+.