WhatsApp alert: From now on, you should never do this even if a known contact asks you to.

Just as WhatsApp is one of the most used apps in our country, it has many positive aspects, but it also has others that are not so positive. Due to the platform's enormous penetration in Spanish society, regardless of age, cybercriminals have a very high probability of their attacks being successful.

In Spain, there are more than 35 million active users, and among them are people with extensive technological knowledge and others (who tend to be older) with more limited knowledge, and therefore more susceptible to falling for one of their tricks.

The best way to avoid these scams is to be aware of them. Now, the National Cybersecurity Institute (Incibe) has warned about a new scam in which attackers use a video call to steal a user's WhatsApp account, impersonate them, and request bizums from their contacts.

It all starts with a video call from a contact saved in the app—this could be your partner, a friend, or a family member . The problem is that you can't see anything in the app, just darkness. The trick is that the victim reports that they can't see anything, and then the cybercriminal, posing as an acquaintance , responds that they're having a problem with the device and asks you to share your screen to see if it works , according to Incibe in a post on its website.

At that moment, the user receives a WhatsApp SMS notification containing a security code, which is also visible to the cybercriminal when sharing their screen.

From then on, the victim loses access to the Meta app, and some of their contacts subsequently begin to warn them that they had received a WhatsApp message with their account urgently requesting money via Bizum , while others are asked for a code they had just received via SMS.

Incibe explained that the steps to follow in this case are, first, to notify all your contacts to prevent them from falling for any scams, as well as to notify the contact from whom you received the video call, since their WhatsApp account was also stolen.

The organization has suggested reinstalling the app to force a new code , and if it says you need to wait 9 to 11 hours, try again later. You should also contact the messaging app's support for assistance.

Incibe has also shared some steps to follow to prevent this type of scam, such as setting up two-step verification and not sharing your screen without being sure who you're talking to. Also, don't provide or share any codes you receive.