What to do if your WhatsApp has been hacked or taken over
Steps to take back a WhatsApp account that someone else controls, warn your contacts and stop the scam from spreading.
WhatsApp is usually taken over when someone gets the six-digit code sent to you, often by pretending to be a friend, a courier or a bank. Once in, they message your contacts asking for money. Act quickly: take the account back, warn people and close the gaps. Here is the order to follow.
Steps
- Warn your contacts first. Tell family and close friends by call or on another app that your WhatsApp is hacked, and that they must not send money or share codes. Ask them to tell others in shared groups.
- Register your number again. Install or open WhatsApp, enter your number and request the six-digit code. Enter it and you take the account back. The other person is signed out. This only works if you hold your SIM.
- Handle the two-step PIN. If it asks for a two-step verification PIN you did not set, the attacker may have added one. You may have to wait up to seven days before you can sign in again without it, as WhatsApp's help page explains.
- Turn on two-step verification. Open WhatsApp settings, then Account, then Two-step verification, and set a PIN and a recovery email you control. Menu names differ slightly on Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Realme and OnePlus phones.
- Check linked devices. In WhatsApp, open Linked devices and log out of any you do not recognise. A hacker may also be reading messages on a web or computer session.
- Report any money loss. If anyone sent money because of the fake messages, they should call their bank using the number on their card, then call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in. Keep screenshots as evidence.
Menu names differ a little between phone makers and Android versions. If you cannot find a setting, open Settings and use the search box.
Why it matters
A hacked WhatsApp is dangerous because your contacts trust your messages. Scammers send urgent requests for money, or ask for the codes of other accounts. Quick, loud warnings to your contacts matter as much as getting back in, since they stop the scam from reaching others and protect people you care about.
Watch out for
- Never share the six-digit WhatsApp code with anyone.
- A friend asking for a code or money in a hurry may be hacked.
- Do not click links in messages that claim to fix WhatsApp.
- Do not pay anyone to recover your account.
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio's scam check can read a suspicious message you paste in, and its Money Shield offers a family code word and a checklist before you pay. It cannot log you back into WhatsApp, cannot see inside the WhatsApp app, and cannot warn your contacts for you. You must do those yourself.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions
How did my WhatsApp get hacked?
Usually someone tricked you or a friend into sharing the six-digit code, or took over your SIM. They may have said it was sent by mistake. Never share that code, even with someone you know.
Can I get my old chats back?
If you had a backup and you restore it after you regain the account, many chats can return. If you did not, they may be lost. Switching on backups and two-step verification now helps for the future.