Sri Lanka, Aug. 14 -- A sharp rise in WhatsApp account hacking has alarmed digital security authorities in Sri Lanka, with the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) reporting 64 complaint cases so far this year. Officials believe the actual number is far higher, as many incidents go unreported.

The CERT also urged victims to contact them during the cooling period to regain ownership of their compromised accounts, CERT Senior Engineer Charuka Damunupola said.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he explained that most accounts were compromised after victims clicked on malicious Zoom meeting links. Hackers would analyze the victim's WhatsApp group content and, depending on the person's profession, craft messages to contacts reques...