Journalist in Yaounde loses funds to WhatsApp phishing scam leading to account takeover and contact exploitation
Summary
A journalist in Yaounde, Mathias Mouende Ngamo, fell victim to a WhatsApp scam in January 2025. He received a call from someone claiming to be a member of a climate change WhatsApp forum, who convinced him to share a six-digit code for a Zoom discussion. After providing the code, hackers gained access to his WhatsApp account. The hackers then sent messages to over 500 of his contacts, falsely claiming he needed money urgently. Friends and contacts became concerned due to his sudden unavailability on WhatsApp and the suspicious messages. The incident highlights the risks of phishing scams on messaging platforms.
Incident Details
Sources
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