How Hackers Take Over WhatsApp Accounts While Users Sleep

The attacker then has the WhatsApp verification code and can use it to access the victim's WhatsApp account. They can then set up their 2FA (two-factor authentication) on it, leaving the actual owner locked out of their account.

Once the account has been hacked, the attacker could use it to hijack accounts of the user's contacts, spread malware, or hold the account hostage until the owner pays up to get it back.

So, a user needs to be careful of it. And, this is how to protect a WhatsApp account from Hackers: 

1. Change the default PIN of your voicemail.

2. Enable two-step verification on your WhatsApp account:

• Open Settings.
• Tap Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
• Enter a six-digit PIN.
• Enter an email address, or tap Skip if you don’t want to. WhatsApp says it recommends adding an email address so you can reset two-step verification if you need to.
• Tap Next.
• Confirm the details and tap Save or Done.