The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces has renewed its warning to citizens of the increase in electronic fraud attempts through the WhatsApp application, as it has recently been observed that unknown persons are exploiting WhatsApp accounts belonging to known people (friends or relatives) after hacking them, and communicating with their contacts by sending fake invitation links to join WhatsApp groups under the pretext that they include mutual friends. It has also been shown that these links lead to fraudulent pages that ask the user to enter or share the verification code (OTP) received via SMS, which enables the fraudster to register the phone number on his device and take full control of the victim’s WhatsApp account. After taking control of the account, the fraudster uses it to communicate with contacts in the same way. He also sometimes requests sums of money through approved money transfer applications or services in Lebanon, impersonating the account holder under various pretexts. First: This General Directorate requires citizens to adhere to the following: - Do not click on any invitation link to an unreliable group, even if it comes from a close or well-known person, unless you contact him personally. - Do not share the verification code (OTP) with any person or entity under any circumstances. - Verify any financial request by directly contacting the account holder. - Activate the Two-Step Verification feature on the WhatsApp application. Second: How to activate two-step verification on WhatsApp: - Open the WhatsApp application - Go to Settings - Choose an account - Click on Two-Step Verification - Choose “Enable” - Create and maintain a 6-digit PIN - It is recommended to add an email (optional) - Click on Save/Done After activating this feature, the fraudster will not be able to access the account even if he obtains the verification code, without knowing the PIN.