Pakistan, Jan. 14 -- Pakistan's National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued a nationwide alert warning of a sharp increase in WhatsApp account hijackings targeting users across all age groups and regions. The advisory described the attacks as active, widespread, and highly severe.

The advisory explained that attackers rely on social engineering techniques rather than exploiting WhatsApp's software vulnerabilities. Hackers trick users into sharing one-time passcodes, manipulating call-forwarding, sending phishing links, and using malicious QR codes to compromise accounts.

Once hijacked, accounts can be used to impersonate victims, defraud contacts, access private messages, and spread harmful content. National CERT h...