A fake link from a contact silently pairs your WhatsApp with a stranger's device
A 'check this photo' message links to a fake WhatsApp or Facebook page. Entering your number to 'verify' silently adds the attacker's browser as a linked device, giving full read/send access to your chats and contacts.
Also known as: GhostPairing scam, WhatsApp device linking fraud, WhatsApp account hijack, CERT-In GhostPairing warning
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Immediately go to WhatsApp Settings → Linked Devices and log out any device you do not recognise
- 2 Never enter your phone number on any external website claiming to be WhatsApp, Facebook, or any verification service
- 3 Do not click links claiming to show photos or videos from contacts — verify the link with the contact directly over a call
- 4 Enable two-step verification in WhatsApp Settings → Account → Two-step verification to add a PIN
- 5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ A contact you rarely chat with sends 'Hi, check this photo' or 'see this video' with an unfamiliar link
- ⚠ The link opens a page styled like Facebook or WhatsApp and asks you to enter your phone number to 'verify'
- ⚠ After visiting the link, you notice an unfamiliar entry under WhatsApp Settings → Linked Devices
- ⚠ Your contacts start receiving spam or phishing messages you never sent
- ⚠ WhatsApp's device-pairing code request appeared briefly while you were on the fake site
Sources
- CERT-In — GhostPairing WhatsApp Account Takeover Advisory (December 2025)
- Business Standard — CERT-In warns of GhostPairing targeting Indian WhatsApp users
- Malwarebytes — The ghosts of WhatsApp: How GhostPairing hijacks accounts
- Moneylife — Fraud Alert: WhatsApp GhostPairing Scam Spreading through Trusted Contacts