The WhatsApp account belonging to the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), Rt Rev Fonki Samuel Forba, has fallen victim to hacking, leaving the prelate without access to his account.
The breach was discovered today when an unknown intruder began exploiting the compromised account, soliciting sums of money from unsuspecting individuals.
The PCC’s official Facebook page posted a cautionary message from the church’s webmaster, urging people to exercise caution and refrain from engaging in any financial transactions with the hacked number.
The message read, “Disclaimer: Moderator’s WhatsApp number 670404925 has been hacked. Please make no deal with the said number. Thanks PCC Webmaster!”
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the hacker has been privately reaching out to individuals who have been in contact with the Moderator, attempting to persuade them to send money.
When contacted, the hacker offered a dubious explanation, stating, “I want to send money to someone, and it’s not going through. I don’t know if you can help me make the transfer to the person. I will definitely refund it back tomorrow before noon.”
This incident is part of a concerning trend of rising WhatsApp hacking cases.
Perpetrators often infiltrate individuals’ accounts and exploit their contacts for financial gain.
The surge in such incidents coincides with WhatsApp’s integration of social media features into the messaging app.
To address the escalating threat, WhatsApp introduced a two-step verification feature aimed at bolstering account security.
However, despite these measures, individuals remain susceptible to hacking attempts, and hackers continue to refine their strategies to circumvent security protocols.
On its website, WhatsApp advises users to restore hacked accounts by logging in afresh and entering a six-digit code sent via SMS.
This code serves as authentication, confirming the rightful owner of the account and automatically ejecting the hacker.
The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon is actively working to regain control of the Moderator’s compromised account and has urged congregants and the public to remain vigilant.
