Tech Tok: Meta apps face cyber attacks

While people are getting calls from international numbers on WhatsApp, several verified FB accounts were hacked

Two of the Meta-owned platforms in recent times have experienced both spam calls and cyber hacks and users were also learnt to have reported cyber crimes from some parts of the country.

Instant messaging app WhatsApp is a widely used application. And lately, users are not just receiving messages and calls from their loved ones and acquaintances but also from scamsters.

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According to reports, people are getting both audio and video calls from international numbers out of the blue. These calls are from different countries like Ethiopia (251), Malaysia (60), Indonesia (62), Kenya (254), Vietnam (84), and others.

However, just because these calls show a different country code, that does not mean that the origin of the call is actually that country. While it is unclear if these are an attempt to steal data or money, authorities have cautioned users not to lift these calls and block them immediately.

Assuring that they are working on it, WhatsApp in an interview with CNBC TV 18 said, “We have a grievance officer based in India who can be contacted if a user has a concern about their experience and is unable to report it through other channels.”

On the other hand, verified Facebook users’ accounts were hacked. Some were renamed to be official Meta accounts and flouted ads and links that were laced with malware.

Although Meta has disabled some accounts that were reported as hacked by industry analyst Matt Navarra, it is still unclear how these hacked pages were able to change their names without getting approved by the company’s system.

Meta says that with increased interest in AI tools like ChatGPT, scammers have been luring WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook users by sharing links to such apps. But what we learn for sure is to stay away from unknown numbers and links.

New version of ChatGPT:

Following privacy concerns on the interactive chatbot ChatGPT, Microsoft is reportedly working on a new version of ChatGPT for select users and organizations who have privacy concerns.

Reports suggest that the company has signed a $10 billion deal with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI for tweaked versions of the chatbot. The upcoming version is set to have advanced privacy settings and interestingly at a time when several countries and companies like Samsung are banning the use of ChatGPT.

Twitter to remove accounts

Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Monday, that the platform will remove accounts that have been inactive for several years saying that the action is “important to free up abandoned handles.”

In a separate tweet, he said that these inactive accounts will be archived. However, as of now, it is unknown when this process will begin and if Twitter users will be able to access these archived accounts. Musk also alerted users that they could see a drop in their follower count, as these inactive accounts will be removed.

Truecaller to start caller identification on WhatsApp:

In the wake of several spam calls on WhatsApp, caller identification app Truecaller said that it will soon make its service available over WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users spot potential spam calls over the internet. In an interview with Reuters, it said that the feature is currently in beta phase and will be rolled out globally later in May.

— Epsita Gunti with agency reports