The Royal St. Christopher & Nevis Police Force in partnership with CARICOM IMPACS, have issued a scam alert, urging all to protect sensitive information.

As of late, criminals have been using various deceptive tactics to steal victims’ six-digit WhatsApp verification codes. The scam works as follows: You may receive an SMS (Short Message Service) text message or WhatsApp message with a six-digit WhatsApp verification code even though you didn’t try to log in or reinstall WhatsApp.

The scammer may call or send a WhatsApp message attempting to make contact, pretending to be WhatsApp support, a courier, a group member or even a friend or colleague.

The scammer may try to coax or pressure you into sharing the six- digit code with them, often by saying it’s needed for verification or support. If you give the scammer the code, they can register your WhatsApp number on their device, gain full control of your account, and lock you out. They can then impersonate you to scam your contacts or send phishing links.

To help avert this, do not respond to, or forward any unsolicited codes you may receive, report and block suspicious number/s on WhatsApp. In the event your account has been compromised, inform your contacts that your account has been compromised and contact WhatsApp support and report the incident.