Scam: Just one picture is enough, your bank account will be emptied in a jiffy, be careful of this scam running on WhatsApp..

WhatsApp Image Scam: WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app today with more than 3 billion monthly active users worldwide. About 50 crore people use it in India too. But while on one hand, this app has become a means of connecting people, it is now becoming a big weapon for cybercriminals. After calls and phishing links, hackers have now adopted a new method. Hackers are stealing people's personal information and money through image files. A shocking case has come to light from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where a young man downloaded a picture sent on WhatsApp and about Rs 2 lakh disappeared from his account.

What is this new scam?

Cybercriminals are now using a technique called 'steganography', which involves hidden data in a media file (such as image, video, or audio). These files look normal, but they contain malware that becomes active as soon as it reaches the phone.

What is steganography?

Steganography is a technique in which data is hidden inside a media file. In image files like .jpg or .png, this data is hidden in metadata or 'least significant bits' (LSB). This part does not affect the quality of the image, but malware can be inserted into the phone through it.

How is the attack happening?

When the user downloads these image files, these files activate malware at that time. This malware can not only access the passwords stored in the phone but can also intercept OTPs. The special thing is that this malware is not easily detected like traditional phishing links, which makes it even more dangerous.

Antivirus is also not able to identify it.

According to cyber security experts, it is not easy for common antivirus apps to identify such steganographic malware. Advanced forensic tools and behavioral analysis are required to catch them.

How to avoid this image scam?

To avoid this scam, first of all, you have to stop auto download on WhatsApp. Go to WhatsApp settings and turn off automatic media download in 'Storage and Data'. This will prevent any file from being saved on the phone without asking.

Do not open media files from unknown numbers.
If you receive any image or video from an unknown person, do not open or download it. If necessary, report and block the number.

Limit group invites
Go to WhatsApp privacy settings and limit group invites to 'My Contacts', so that you cannot be added to unknown groups.

Do not share sensitive information.
Never send OTP or banking details on WhatsApp, even if the person in front is an acquaintance. Always confirm through some other means.

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