Last updated on October 15, 2026

Names mentioned herein are hypothetical

 


It was almost midnight when Maya’s phone started buzzing.

One message came after another.

Her best friend had texted:
“Maya, what happened to your dad? Is he okay?”

Confused, Maya replied:
“What do you mean?”

Her friend sent her a screenshot.

Maya froze.
A message had been sent from her WhatsApp account to several of her contacts:
“My dad needs an urgent kidney transplant, and we need to arrange the money immediately. I’m really struggling right now. If you can help, even a small amount, please send it to this account. I’m sorry for asking like this.”

Her father’s photo was attached, but Maya hadn’t sent it. She quickly checked her chats. The same message had gone to her relatives, university friends, colleagues and even a few people she hadn’t spoken to in months.

Then her cousin called.
“Maya, I already sent Rs. 100,000. I thought you were in trouble.”

Her heart sank. She immediately asked him to stop sending any more money and warned her family.

What frightened her most was that she couldn’t understand how it had happened.

She hadn’t clicked any strange links.

She hadn’t shared an OTP.

She hadn’t scanned a QR code.

She hadn’t given her password to anyone.

As she tried to figure out what was happening, another message appeared from her account.
“Please don’t call me. I’m dealing with the hospital right now.”

That was when Maya realized that someone else was using her account.

She searched online for help and came across awareness guidance from Hithawathi. She reached out and explained what had happened.

Hithawathi informed Maya that her WhatsApp account may have been compromised through a cyberattack, potentially taking advantage of vulnerabilities without requiring her to click a link or interact with anything suspicious.

She was advised to try recovery options, secure her account, check her linked devices, enable additional security features, warn her contacts not to respond to the money requests, and report the incident to appropriate organizations for further technical support.

Precaution Tips:

  • Keep WhatsApp, your phone and other apps updated.
  • Enable two-step verification on WhatsApp.
  • Regularly check linked devices and remove any you don’t recognize.
  • If someone suddenly asks for money, verify the request through another communication method.
  • Tell friends and family not to trust unusual messages, even if they come from your account.
  • Report suspicious activity as soon as possible.
  • Seek help from trusted organizations if your account is compromised.