They Got Me Too — A Lesson on the WhatsApp Hackers

One morning, before I’d even had my coffee, I answered a call. The voice was calm, respectful, and seemed familiar with my work. He spoke about the Call of Islam, saying there would be a WhatsApp discussion later that evening, and they’d like me to share my insights.

I asked him to send me more details. He agreed, then casually added: “For our meeting tonight, please repeat the numbers I just sent you?”

Half-awake, I read out the six-digit number — my WhatsApp verification code — without a second thought. Moments later, I was locked out of my account.

Of course, I felt embarrassed. But as my friend Laury Silvers reminded me: this was cleverly done. It was a classic social engineering scam: using politeness, personal references, and urgency to break through your defences when you’re least prepared.

This is happening to many of us.

Respected voices in our communities are being systematically targeted:

• Rev Frank Chikane
• Ambassador Mohammed Dangor
• Former Premier Ebrahim Rasool
• And now, me

This is not random. It is sinister, because these criminals know your contacts trust you. That trust is their weapon.

👉 My advice, from bitter experience:

✅ Never share your 6-digit WhatsApp verification code with anyone
✅ Pause before reacting to an urgent call or text
✅ Always verify directly — through a trusted phone call, video chat, or in person
✅ Warn your network if your account is hijacked — I immediately sent an SMS to all my contacts saying: “My WhatsApp has been hacked. Don’t accept any requests.”
✅ Reinstall WhatsApp and enable two-step security, as my friend Shafiq Morton wisely reminded me: “It puts hackers off.”

These scams are designed to catch good people off guard. If it happened to me, it can happen to you.

Let’s protect each other — by talking about it, and by staying alert.

Stay safe.
— Adli Yacubi