Just when you thought scams couldn't get any sneakier, cybercriminals have found a rather chilling way to spy on users via WhatsApp. The new scam, dubbed WhatsApp Ghost Pairing, allows fraudsters to secretly link your WhatsApp account to their device.
This gives fraudsters access to your chats, photos, videos and even private media without triggering obvious red flags. The threat has grown serious enough for India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to step in with an official advisory that urges WhatsApp users to stay alert.
What is WhatsApp Ghost Pairing and How Does It Work?
Talking about it in more detail, WhatsApp Ghost Pairing exploits WhatsApp's "Linked Devices" feature, which users rely on to access chats across laptops and tablets. Scammers trick users into approving a device link, often via social engineering rather than malware or hacking.
Typically, victims of this scam receive quite convincing messages or calls posing as WhatsApp support, bank officials, delivery agents or even acquaintances. In some cases, users are urged to scan a QR code or share a verification prompt under the guise of account recovery, verification or resolving an urgent issue.
Once approved, this way, the scammer's device gets silently linked to the victim's WhatsApp account. From that point on, the attacker can read messages, download photos and videos, as well as monitor conversations. The real danger is that the original user may not immediately realise anything is wrong, which is where it gets the WhatsApp Ghost Pairing name from.
Government agencies warn that attackers are increasingly using this method because it leaves minimal traces and doesn't always log users out of their primary device.
How to Protect Yourself From WhatsApp Ghost Pairing Scams
With WhatsApp Ghost Pairing becoming more common, cybersecurity experts and MeitY recommend a few simple but crucial steps to safeguard your account:
- First things first, head over to WhatsApp -> Settings -> Linked Devices to spot any unfamiliar devices, remove them immediately and log out of all sessions.
- Secondly, never scan QR codes or approve device requests sent by unknown contacts or shared over calls and messages.
- Thirdly, enable two-step verification (2FA) with a strong PIN, which adds an extra layer of security and makes unauthorised access far more difficult.
- Be cautious of urgent or emotionally charged messages pushing to act fast, as scammers rely on panic to override common sense. If something feels off, that's because it most likely is.
- Finally, keep your phone's operating system and WhatsApp app updated as newer versions often include improved security measures against such emerging threats.
WhatsApp Ghost Pairing may sound invisible, but the consequences are a little too real. With scammers getting smarter by the day, staying informed and alert is no longer optional but super essential. With that said, do quick checks of your Linked Devices and follow the necessary precautions to keep such cyber scams at bay.
