Despite the security tools and encryption that WhatsApp has, Meta's application is a space that cybercriminals exploit to carry out attacks and digital fraud by leveraging social engineering and the popularity of the platform.
An example of this is the study by CertiSur and D'Alessio IROL that found that in Argentina 31% of hacking and identity spoofing incidents detected occur through this messaging application, surpassing traditional channels such as email and phone calls.
How attacks and fraud occur on WhatsApp
The report details that identity spoofing and phishing cases top the list of threats. Criminals take advantage of WhatsApp's massiveness—used by nine out of ten connected Argentines—to send messages that appear to come from known contacts, institutions, or official services.
The goal is to persuade victims to share personal data, banking credentials, or verification codes.
The mechanics of the attack usually begins with unlawful access to an account (through password theft, social engineering, or SIM duplication), which allows the attacker to communicate directly with the victim's contacts and request money or information under urgent pretenses.
On other occasions, messages include malicious links that lead to the installation of spyware or the capture of sensitive data.
The results of the study, based on 500 cases analyzed during 2025 and the first months of 2026, show that 43% of surveyed users were victims of hacking or digital fraud during that period, with WhatsApp as the main scenario. Email accounted for 23% of incidents and phone calls for 20%.
This fraud modality has become especially effective because it exploits the trust that users place in their contacts and the immediacy of the platform. On many occasions, those affected do not detect the maneuver until they have already shared sensitive information or transferred funds.
The emotional and economic impact of these crimes is significant. Loss of account access, theft of personal information, and financial fraud create a climate of mistrust both toward platforms and toward institutions responsible for prevention.
The report highlights that confidence in the ability of companies and banks to prevent digital fraud fell sharply from 83% to 40% in the last year.
This decline in confidence is directly linked to the extension and sophistication of the attacks recorded, as well as the perception that protection and response tools are insufficient or too complex for the average user.
Most people do not have technical procedures to verify the authenticity of messages or digital documents, and 76% are unaware of the formal steps to initiate a complaint when they detect an irregularity.
Strategies and recommendations to prevent fraud on WhatsApp
Faced with this scenario, the report identifies the main measures adopted by users to protect themselves from digital fraud. 91% resort to using passwords, 76% disable files from unknown emails, and 59% use SMS authentication.
However, only 48% adopted new security measures after being a victim of an incident, and 17% decided to suspend their operations on certain web platforms out of fear of new attacks.
Among the key recommendations to avoid fraud on WhatsApp, specialists suggest:
- Do not share verification codes or passwords through messages.
- Verify the authenticity of messages requesting urgent information or money transfers, even if they come from known contacts.
- Enable two-step verification in the account settings.
- Be suspicious of links and files sent by unknown numbers.
- Consult official sources when in doubt about the legitimacy of a communication.
43% of Argentines were victims of hacking or identity fraud in the last year, a figure that summarizes the scope of the problem and the urgency of implementing prevention and digital education strategies at both individual and institutional levels.
Fuente: Infobae