DKI Deputy Governor Riza's WhatsApp Number Was Hacked For Fraud

DKI Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria (Rizky Adytia / VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria announced that his WhatsApp account mobile number had been hacked to be used as fraud.

"Our cellphone with the WhatsApp number 0816-891-396 has been taken over by another party, and is being used for fraud", Riza said in a statement, Tuesday, April 27.

Riza asked all parties who got messages from that number not to reply. In the meantime, Riza admits that he can be contacted via the cellphone number of his adjutant.

"Please be careful, not to reply to any messages from the WhatsApp number. In the meantime, I can be contacted at the adjutant number at 0816712032 on behalf of Anton or 0812-1263-3254 on behalf of Sandi", said Riza.

It is known that the hacking of the WhatsApp account has also targeted a number of other officials, namely the Director of Prevention and Control of Direct Communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi. The hacker who claimed to be Nadia borrowed money from a number of parties.

Then how do you recover a hacked WhatsApp account? According to Alfons Tanujaya, cybersecurity practitioner from vaksin.com, the original owner can restore the hacked account by reinstalling the WhatsApp application as soon as possible.

"We will be able to retrieve our account because the verification code will only be sent via SMS to our Whatsapp number", Alfons said via short message to VOI.

The verification code in question is a combination of One Time Password (OTP) numbers to activate your WhatsApp account. Usually, the OTP code will be sent via SMS and will only be read or recorded by the original owner of the WhatsApp account automatically.

After successfully logging in, the WhatsApp account will return to the rightful owner. But keep in mind, this process must be done as soon as possible, otherwise, hackers can protect the account and the original user has to wait seven days after reporting WhatsApp to recover the account.

You are advised to activate the two-step verification feature. Through this feature, users will be asked to create layered security in addition to the authentication code and fingerprint recording as the owner of a legitimate WhatsApp account.

"Even if it's hacked, (WhatsApp) will still not be controlled by hackers and we can take it back", said Alfons.

In addition, said Alfons, make sure to always 'Logout' from WhatsApp web access. Because the existence of this WhatsApp messenger can also be used as a security hole to synchronize cellphones with computers.