Knowing if your WhatsApp has been cloned is important to ensure the privacy of your conversations and prevent criminals from carrying out scams in your name.
To find out if WhatsApp has been cloned, you need to check signs such as notifications about the messenger registered on other devices, unusual activities in the app, problems accessing the app or noticing the constant receipt of confirmation tokens via SMS.
WhatsApp connected to another unknown device (in addition to your iPhone or Android) is also a suspicious indicator, as an attacker may have gained access to impersonate you on another device.
Below, see some clues to find out if your WhatsApp has been cloned.
INDEX
- Check if your WhatsApp is registered on another device
- WhatsApp prevents you from accessing your messenger account
- Check your WhatsApp account for strange activity
- You received WhatsApp access codes via SMS without asking
- Do any messages appear when WhatsApp is cloned?
- Who cloned WhatsApp has access to my photos and conversations?
- Is it possible to recover a cloned WhatsApp account?
1. Check if your WhatsApp is registered on another device
It is possible to find out if the WhatsApp account was registered on another cell phone when you receive an SMS or a notification via messenger that the device was registered on another device without any action from you.
It is worth noting that there is no way to have your account cloned without the user noticing, as these notifications will help you find out if someone is trying to clone your WhatsApp.
What can happen is that an attacker gains access to the account and logs in without authorization. Therefore, it is essential that you do not share the WhatsApp confirmation code that arrives on your device with anyone.
Notification via SMS about WhatsApp account that will be registered on a new device (Image: Reproduction/Android)
2. WhatsApp prevents you from accessing your messenger account
Another clue to find out if WhatsApp has been cloned is to be suddenly disconnected, after receiving a notification that the number was registered on another device. This happens because the app does not allow two accounts to operate simultaneously (not counting additional connected devices) on two cell phones.
In other words, suffering constant disconnections for no apparent reason is a good clue to know if WhatsApp is being used by someone else. Users who want to know if someone has cloned WhatsApp should also raise suspicions when they encounter problems accessing their account.
Fortunately, Meta offers a service to deactivate and block your WhatsApp account outside of the messenger in situations like these. The process requires an email to [email protected], along with the intention, details of what happened and the full telephone number.
3. Check your WhatsApp account for strange activity
There is a way to find out if WhatsApp has been cloned by noticing strange activities on your WhatsApp. Look for inconsistencies such as messages you haven’t read that have already been viewed, profile edits, conversations with random numbers or unrecognized sent messages to see if WhatsApp is cloned.
A good tip is to access the messenger settings menu and see all accesses under “Connected devices”. The method allows you to find out if WhatsApp has been cloned on your iPhone or Android, as well as disconnect your WhatsApp account from other unknown devices.
4. You received WhatsApp access codes via SMS without asking
Another way to know if you have been cloned on WhatsApp or if you are being hacked is to notice the receipt of confirmation tokens from the messenger via SMS, even without any requests from you. The notification indicates that someone is trying to access your WhatsApp account.
There is no need to take any action if you received the SMS without making the request. However, never share the six-digit token you received, as it is the key to completing the process of confirming your number on WhatsApp.
Example of SMS with WhatsApp access code (Image: Reproduction/Android)
Do any messages appear when WhatsApp is cloned?
Yes, some notifications indicate to the user that their WhatsApp account is being cloned. The first of these is receiving the SMS “ Your WhatsApp account will be registered on a new cell phone ” along with the six-digit token, even if the official account owner has not requested the confirmation code.
Another strong indication is the message “ Unable to verify this phone. This is probably because you registered your phone number with WhatsApp on another device. ” when trying to open the messenger. The notification indicates that an attacker has entered your account from another device, which cuts off your access to the messenger.
Who cloned WhatsApp has access to my photos and conversations?
Not necessarily, but it could be. According to Meta, a person who accesses their account on another device (other than an additional device) will not be able to read previous conversations. However, he can have access to groups and see contacts in open messages.
The problem is that the attacker will be able to restore a backup and access old conversations and media if he also has your Google Drive or iCloud credentials.
Because of this, it is recommended to reinforce WhatsApp’s privacy settings by activating two-factor verification, registering biometrics or facial recognition, and activating encryption in backups.
Does the person who cloned my WhatsApp have access to my deleted conversations?
Yes, as long as the person also has your Google Drive or iCloud login credentials. With this information in hand, the attacker can log into these cloud services with your account and recover deleted WhatsApp messages via backup.
One of the ways to prevent attackers from restoring your WhatsApp backup is to enable end-to-end encryption on the backup. This is an extra security feature that protects data stored in the cloud with a 64-digit password or encryption key.
Is it possible to recover a cloned WhatsApp account?
Yes. Users who want to recover a cloned WhatsApp can reinstall the Meta messenger, log in with their phone number and confirm the six-digit token. This measure is important for you to regain control of the account and cut off access to the attacker’s device.
Cases involving SIM swap require the user to request the operator to block the SIM chip, buy a new chip, recover the old number and link it to the new SIM, in addition to reconfiguring WhatsApp with the confirmation token received.