The National Cyber Security Agency warned on Friday against an increase in attempts to hack Facebook accounts through a scam based on stealing verification codes.
The Agency urges users to stay vigilant and not to share, under any circumstances, the codes received on their phone or in their messages.
A scam based on the verification code
According to the National Cyber Security Agency, fraudsters try to convince their victims that a verification code was sent to them by error.
They then ask the user to transmit this code to them, whether by phone call, SMS, or email.
In reality, this code can be used by the scammer to access the victim’s Facebook account.
A risk of losing access to one’s account
The Agency warns that transmitting the verification code to a third party can allow them to log in to the concerned Facebook account and change the password.
The account owner then risks entirely losing control of their profile, which could subsequently be used without their knowledge.
The agency calls for never sharing the codes received
In response to the surge in this type of attempt, the National Cyber Security Agency calls on all users never to communicate their verification code, regardless of the identity or the pretext given by the person requesting it.
It thus recommends treating these codes as strictly confidential data, on the same level as a password.
Source: TAP
