Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (SP)

Shivamogga, Dec 31: We often hear about Gmail, Facebook, ATM card, bank account etc getting hacked. But WhatsApp is the latest addition to this list. It has come to light that the WhatsApp account of a person from Bhadravati in the district has been hacked from Pakistan.

It has transpired that Shivakumar from Bhadravati got call on December 24 this year from an unknown number. The caller, who conversed in Hindi, told Shivakumar that his phone number had won a prize of Rs 35 lac in the lucky draw and promised to send money to him. He sought photograph and bank account number of Shivakumar. Shivakumar refused to divulge any information and ended the call.

Another person immediately called Shivakumar from another phone number, and asserted that they were not telling lies, and that the information about winning prize money was genuine. He tried to convince Shivakumar to part with information sought, but Shivakumar refused to oblige and snapped the call. He then got another call from one more number. The person at the other end wanted to know the code which would be sent to Shivakumar's cell phone, if he is unwilling to part with bank account number.

Shivakumar thought that there was no risk in parting with the code number. He told this number to the caller and cut the call thereafter.

He thereafter got suspicion about the call and checked his WhatsApp account and found that the account had stopped functioning. The number through which prize money call had come also was found to have been deleted from the phone.

All the calls originated from Pakistan. Cyber crime police inspector here, K Kumar, said that his department has received complaint about hacking of WhatsApp account, which he said, has been forwarded to cyber crime division at Hyderabad where efforts would be made to undo the hacking. If this could not be done at Hyderabad, the complaint will then go to the head office, he stated.